Teen Warrior: Son Chiri's Story
by lilDBZbuddy89
Summary: The continuation of Young Warrior. Having hit her rocky teenage years With her father no longer around and her older brother's training taking a back seat, Chiri has to step up and attempt to fill their shoes. With stronger threats constantly emerging, can she handle the pressure? A mix of canon and OCs, loosely based on the DBZ storyline.
1. AoT Chapter 01

**AN:** Apologies for the wait on the upload of these chapters to all of you who have been patiently waiting. The delay was due to an unexpected stay in hospital at the beginning of the month due to a kidney infection with added complications (it ruptured a cyst I did not know I had). I am now much better in myself and found myself with some time to finally get around to uploading the next chapter of Chiri's story.

This is a continuation from Young Warrior: Son Chiri's Story. We leap several years into the future!

Enjoy and thank you so much for your patience.

-LilDBZBuddy89

* * *

 **Teen Warrior: Son Chiri's Story**

 **Part III – The Anxieties of Teenagehood**

 **Chapter 01 – A Blessing in Disguise**

Her aim was lousy, her rapid-fire energy blasts missing him by metres as he stood, high in the sky, arms crossed. His eyes plugged firmly on her, down below on the ground, waiting patiently but scrutinizing every move she made. So far it was promising. Her aura was calm, her life force strong, her control well-developed. If this had been any other situation, he'd have been concerned about her lack of aim and apparent lack of focus. But she was meant to be missing. This was the entire point of the move and she was covering the weak points well… not as well as he could have but it was certainly an improvement on the last time she'd performed this move.

Chiri roared, pulling her outstretched arms in towards her chest. The energy attacks that had been thrown – at least three dozen – all suddenly shot towards Piccolo at a terrifying speed. With a holler, the Namekian launched a protective barrier around himself. The energy balls stuck to it like magnets, pushing the orb further inwards. Down below, Chiri focused her energy more, a vein popping on her forehead as she concentrated more, teeth bared. The added force started to show; Piccolo's energy shield shrunk further, agonisingly becoming smaller and tighter until finally, it collapsed. It and the Namekian vanished in a thick cloud of dark smoke accompanied by a thunderous roar. The shockwave made the ground below her feet shudder violently for a few seconds, Chiri maintaining her balance, eyes kept on the spot her mentor had last been seen in.

As the dust and light died down, the air revealed nothing remained. The Piccolo that had been there was gone. Chiri's eyes traced down an invisible line until they hit the horizon; in the distance she could just about make out a deformed figure. Concern threatened to eat away at her resolve; instead of running she walked towards the corpse, keeping herself as composed as she could.

The corpse suddenly shone white, lost its shape and was sucked towards her by an invisible force. Chiri side-stepped the light form, turning on her heels to see it become reabsorbed into the Namekian walking towards her.

"Not bad, certainly better than your last attempt," Piccolo spoke. "You left a couple of spots weak to infiltration; you're still making stupid errors. They will cost you dearly in a real life-death situation."

Chiri frowned. Criticism was never easy to take but she'd learnt long ago that it was better to just accept it gracefully and then vent out later when no one was looking. Still, Piccolo had said it was better than last time so that was probably as close to a compliment she would ever get from him.

"That will do for now," The Namekian decided, turning away, cape floating on the breeze. "That move should be used sparingly. It still takes a fair amount out of your stamina. The more we practise, the easier it will become and the less it will sap you of strength."

"So are we taking a break or are we done for today?" Chiri asked.

"Do as you please," Piccolo responded. "… You don't have to go if you'd rather continue." He wasn't entirely sure what possessed him to say this. Perhaps all these years without Goku about as a training partner and the lack of training interest from his son had left Piccolo feeling a need to keep the fighting spirit in one of his former rival's offspring. At least this child showed some interest, though her motivation seemed to have changed for the worst since she'd hit that bizarre age where human kids turned from bearable to downright rude and obnoxious. The last couple of years' worth of training alongside this child had left him more capable of tolerating her attitude.

"Do you think I'd be able to use that move now if I was, you know, randomly attacked by some bad guy?" Chiri asked.

Piccolo contemplated this idea, a wave of nausea hitting him hard in the stomach. It may as well have been Gohan asking him such an absurd question. Had it been Gohan during his youth, Piccolo would have been honest, as brutal as honesty was. However, with this child's recently acquired attitude, he felt it wise to save himself the trouble it would cause. "You'd be better off sticking to the Kamehameha."

Chiri's eyebrows converged. "… So you're saying no then? So much for getting better at this. You can't mess with my expectations like that!"

And this is why he missed Gohan. If given the chance, he'd rather Gohan had the enthusiasm to train but instead, he was stuck childminding Goku's second brat – the one whose attitude seemed to have stemmed from their mother when it came to honest critique. Still, it was good having someone to spar with other than himself. Plus the benefits his clones were able to give him in regards to their experience and added knowledge left him learning from their battles at a faster pace.

"Maybe we should go over it one more time then, if you think I'd do better using Dad's attack," Chiri suggested, the hint of annoyance still in her voice. "You can make another clone right?"

"No, you've practised it three times today," Piccolo refused. "You'd be better off focusing on something else for the rest of the day. You haven't meditated in a while."

"That's because it's boring," Chiri whined. "Come on, the Hellzone Grenade is something I really think I can master. Please let's practise it again?"

Piccolo inwardly sighed. He knew how this would end. He also knew that when she'd set her mind to something…

"Once more." He muttered. "Only this time, I won't use a clone. You're going to attack me – the real me. Don't hold back and remember what I said about the last attempt."

Chiri grinned sensing victory. "Yes!" She threw her fists into the sky. "But are you sure you wanna actually take this head-on considering what I did to your clone?"

"I'll survive," Piccolo slowly rose up into the air leaving her where she stood.

Chiri didn't just stand and watch. Whilst her mentor was making his way into position, she was concentrating on her breathing and her energy. She drew from the flame in the pit of her stomach, pulling energy into her hands and forcing it from her gateways to form an energy ball in each hand. Cautiously she manipulated and shaped the energy, keeping it focused whilst at the same time keeping her eyes on Piccolo, waiting for the signal. It soon came in the form of the Namekian stopping and turning to face her.

She began to throw up her gathered energy, firing several spheres in Piccolo's direction, indifferent to hitting him but making sure she was adequately blocking off any potential escape route. Quickly the mine of energy balls surrounded her target, all the while she had to concentrate on keeping the balls of energy still and in form.

Something broke. Before she knew it, control had been lost. Her control over her body had gone and she was heading face-first towards the ground.

Piccolo knew the rouse was up as soon as the balls of energy closest to him began to flicker and falter, losing their shape and falling from their positon. Within seconds he was darting towards her, teleporting as fast as he could to reach her until finally, his feet slapped hard on the rock. In one fell swoop he leant over her as the explosions started; the energy bolts having lost form and raining down back to the ground, erupting on impact. The force almost knocked him head-over-heels but he remained firm against the shockwaves, all the while making sure she stayed stuck to the ground. When the violent shudders of the ground and air subsided, he rose to full height and took the time to admire the damage caused to the ground behind them. A fair few craters were the only signs of the drama that'd just unfolded.

As he'd anticipated: four was too much for her to handle. What was more worrying was that she hadn't foreseen this, she hadn't sensed or acknowledged her stamina had been pushed too far to have attempted the move again. It was either blindness to her own limits, or a dangerous level of determination and overachievement that had led this to happen. As dangerous as either was, Piccolo hoped it was the latter option.

Stretching out one hand towards her, a strange glow surrounded his palm. Instantly it also surrounded Chiri's unconscious body, pulling her clear from the ground and left floating several feet off the ground. With her safely in tow, he took to the skies and headed east.

* * *

"Where's Gohan?"

Chichi turned around, eyes raised. "How're you feeling?"

"That doesn't answer my question," Chiri responded, strolling into the living room. "Yeah, I'm ok… Where is Gohan?"

Chichi shifted herself along the sofa and patted the cushion next to her. Her daughter sat herself down with a light thud as her mother answered: "He's at school."

Chiri looked at her mother baffled. It took a moment for the penny to drop. "Oh! That was today?" _'How annoying, I wanted to ask him something…'_ She cured internally. "So when will he be back?"

"Well he was due back a little while ago," Chichi frowned. "I hope he hasn't gotten himself into trouble."

"Trouble? Gohan?" Chiri snorted. "Nah, he's the last person to get himself into trouble. Maybe he's joined up to an after school club?"

The sound of thumping feet on the laminate flooring stopped the conversation dead, Goten sliding on his socks into the living room. "Chiri! Great! Let's go!"

"Let's go?" Chichi repeated.

"Oh yeah, I promised didn't I?" Chiri sighed and rolled her eyes, standing and making her way towards her brother. "Alright then, let's go."

"Yay!" Goten grinned, eagerly following the teen outside.

"Be back for dinner!" Chichi's voice came from behind.

"Will be." Chiri called back. Her brother hopped around her in circles. He wasn't making walking in a straight line any easier. "Will you stop that, you're getting in the way!" Chiri growled.

"Sorry," Goten immediately stopped, instead following behind his sister's heels, not brimming so much with energy now.

The two walked a little ways down the path leading away from the forest and into the open fields. In the distance, the mountains rose imposingly towering over the valleys. It was those they were heading for. As they climbed up a small slope and the house vanished behind them, Chiri broke into a run. Glancing over her shoulder, Goten was still hot on her heels. The two ran, leaping and bouncing off the ground. Within a minute, they had reached the foot of the mountains, the ground sloping up towards the rocky towers. Within metres of one, Chiri ground to a halt, sliding her heels on the gravel. Goten followed suite, stopping a little further past his sister.

"This ought to be good enough," Chiri mumbled glancing the area over. "… Yep, this is as good as any."

"Why'd we come here?" Goten asked.

"I can't exactly teach you this in the forest, can I?" Chiri rhetorically snorted. "This place has plenty of space – and we're gonna need space if you're gonna learn this." Taking a few steps away from the mountains, Chiri found herself tightening her sash for no particular reason. She needed to do something with her hands, she wasn't sure why but she had to do something with them, anything to give them a job to do. Dismissing this bizarre feeling in her stomach, she turned to her younger sibling. "Alright, let's teach you the family move."

"Yay!" Goten grinned, throwing his hands in the air. "I'm gonna learn it! I'm gonna learn it!"

"Not gonna learn it if you talk over me or don't watch," Chiri raised her voice, keeping the calm tone. Her brother regained his focused and sat himself down on the ground. Chiri was about to tell him not to sit when a thought crossed her mind. He could sit for now. "What I'll do is show you the move, then we'll practise. Ok?"

"Yep," Goten nodded. "What's the move called again? Kamekame…"

"Kame **ha** meha," Chiri snorted with a grin. "It means turtle destructive wave. If you call it the kamekameha then it's just turtle turtle wave – and that sounds stupid and will make you look stupid if you say that, so don't say that."

Goten pouted indignantly but didn't say anything.

Why was her heart trying to throw itself clean from her chest via her throat? Chiri shrugged the nerves off and got herself into stance, bending her knees and spreading her lower limbs. "Ok, first you have to stand like this, bending your knees and shrinking down a little."

"Why?" Goten asked.

"Because otherwise you'd fall over," Chiri replied. "If you stand up straight, the force when you release the energy would push you over."

Goten giggled. "Show me!"

"No! I'm not showing you how to do it wrong," Chiri spat. "You can find that out on your own. Ok, next!" She brought her hands mid-way up and cupped her hands, putting her wrists together. "This is how your hands need to look; you're gonna bring the energy out through both hands but you're gonna make one ball of energy, so you'll have to remember to think of both hands as one rather than thinking of each hand separately." _'Dunno if you'll actually be able to do that but we'll see…'_ She added to herself, bringing her hands to her right hip. "You bring your hands either to the left or the right like this, it doesn't matter what side you do it on. So, this is how you should look as you're charging up the attack."

Goten nodded enthusiastically, brows still furrowed over his eyes.

"Then," Chiri continued. "Then you begin bringing the energy into your hands. Draw it down through your arms from your gut." She began to focus her energy. Within moments, her hands were shimmering as a single blue orb of energy formed, painting the immediate spot of ground a blue hue. "Then as you charge, you say the name: Kamehameha. On the 'ha' part, you throw your hands forward to whatever you're trying to hit and release the energy. I'll show you now." She looked around and spotted a small boulder. That would do. "Alright, I'm not gonna do a very strong one, just one strong enough to break that boulder in half."

"Oh…" Goten sat forward.

"Here goes!" Chiri clenched her leg muscles. "Kamehameha!" On the 'ha' as promised, she threw her cupped hands forward, firing off the orb. As it was released, the orb changed into a beam of light, shooting rapidly towards its target and slicing cleanly through the targeted rock.

"Wow!" Goten exclaimed. "Wow, that's so cool!"

Chiri smiled smug. "And that's the Kamehameha."

Goten got to his feet and rushed over, "And you want me to do that? Yay! I can't wait to try this! Trunks is gonna be so jealous!"

' _I doubt it but then again, maybe Vegeta hasn't taught him anything like this yet…'_ Chiri thought to herself. _'… What am I saying? Of course he will have done!'_

"So I stand like this?" Goten asked, adjusting his stance and spreading his footing, mimicking exactly how his sister had stood.

"That's right," Chiri nodded approvingly. "Now, bring your wrists together and make your hands look like this," She showed him the arm position again, Goten adjusting his to mimic hers. "That's right. Practise the arm movement first before you go charging up your energy. We don't wanna try it until you're properly ready."

* * *

The early-spring sky was turning by the time he arrived home. Chiri was disturbed from the peace and tranquillity of the bathroom, enjoying the warmth of the pool of steamy water she'd settled into, resting her head against the back of the tub. The extension to their home had been long overdue; no longer did she have to bathe outside. She could now enjoy some much-needed privacy, away from prying eyes.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the same when it came to voices. Her mother's shrill tones bounced and forced themselves through the floorboards, albeit muffled. Then her brother's voice was unfortunate enough to pass through walls and ceilings no matter what volume he used it at. Goten's voice registered every-so-often, usually in his stupid, excitable tone. So much for peaceful. Chiri sighed annoyed and pulled herself out from her tranquil world, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her pubescent body, taking extra care to make sure her modesty was intact. Her brothers poked fun at her for enough reasons; her body was one of them. She couldn't help it if she was tall for a thirteen year old!

Leaving the humidity of the bathroom and entering the noticeably cool hallway, she quickly made her way down to the top of the stairs and peered down to see if she could get a better look.

"I wish you'd called," Chichi was sounding worried. "We were beginning to worry when it got to dinner and you still weren't here."

"Sorry, I lost track of time," Gohan's voice responded.

' _Kitchen,'_ Chiri realised, frowning. She couldn't see into there from her position on the stairs but at least it meant they couldn't see her. Her interest fading fast, she headed back to her room and dressed into her pyjamas; it was only a couple of hours until she'd be sent to bed anyway and it wasn't like she'd be training any more today. After having dried her hair a sufficient amount before brushing, Chiri finally made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, listening to every word the two older inhabitants of their home spoke.

"Well as long as you're careful, I don't see why not," Chichi sighed giving in.

"It'll be great," Gohan sounded enthusiastic. "Now no one will know it's me."

Chiri sent over a quizzical look. "What's you?"

Gohan glanced over, "Oh, just something that Bulma's made for me."

"Bulma made something for you?" Chiri snorted. "Why would Bulma make something for you?"

"Because she likes me more than you," Gohan responded turning away and taking a sip of water from his glass.

"Be nice," Chichi warned.

"Yeah, Gohan," Chiri jeered. "Seriously though, why would Bulma need to make you something for you? Was school that bad?"

"Why do you want to know so bad?" Gohan countered.

Chiri groaned. So he was gonna be like this today then? "I'm not being nosey or anything, just curious. It sounds like you beat someone up and got into trouble for it."

Now it was Gohan's turn to snort. "That sounds more like you."

"You're so annoying," Chiri huffed, leaving the room and heading back to her own. Of all the things to say! Why had he been so evasive and defensive over this anyway? _'Brothers are so annoying.'_ She grumbled, closing her door a little harder than she'd intended and marching over to her cushions. Her room was her sanctuary, littered with cuddly toys given to her by their grandfather, along with a small cluster of cushions next to her bookcase. She liked to snuggle up amongst them and get lost in far-off lands in fairy tales and adventure books, with the occasional teen angst story. Reading was her second love after training and Chiri found herself relying more and more on it to deal with living in a house with a dorky but irritating older brother and stupidly crazy younger one.

If her father were still alive…

Chiri let a long breath of air escape slowly, shoulders deflating. If her father was still with them, her brother wouldn't be so hell-bent on pure study, she was sure of it. If her father was still alive, her younger brother would be joining her in training with him. She would have someone in the house who she could have serious, in-depth conversations with about training and sparring and improving her technique. Piccolo had commented to her the other week that it was the one thing he had wished Goku had stayed around for: the benefit and teaching of the next generation. Piccolo was more than happy to know that she was serious about her training but it pained him a little to see the wasted potential of Gohan and the unguided, wild skills Goten possessed.

Chiri was doing her best with Goten, it was just that training him and keeping him focussed was a lot more trouble than it was worth. Besides, often enough he and Trunks used to play their sparring games so it wasn't a complete hopeless case. At least Trunks had a decent teacher, one that would make sure his skills were up to scratch.

Maybe she ought to bring Goten along with her one day so he could also train under Piccolo's guidance? She'd see what the two of them thought of the idea. _'Ok, plan for tomorrow: see if Goten would like to train with us. He should take the bait.'_ She grinned to herself mischievously. With any luck, he'd latch onto Piccolo and stop pestering her to train him!


	2. AoT Chapter 02

**Chapter 02 – Gohan's New Role**

He hated her for this.

Gohan had returned home to find his and Goten's room a complete and utter mess. He had little doubt in his mind who was responsible – it was not Goten. The talk they'd had last night about her being so inquisitive in business that wasn't hers was still fresh on his mind. Why she thought she had the right to know every little detail about his life was beyond him. He wasn't sure why she'd made the mess but he assumed she'd left empty-handed - it didn't look like anything was missing.

Tracing her life force, Gohan bid his mother farewell and took to the skies. She had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

The morning had started off well.

Until she'd announced her brother had come along for the ride – and not her older brother. Piccolo hadn't accounted for her ever considering bringing the miniature-Goku along for training. The boy had little control over his ki and his technique was sloppy and slow. In short, Piccolo had not been impressed.

Chiri suspected Goten had sensed this. As much as she complained about him and as much as he drove her crazy, Goten was good when it came to sensing the moods of those around him. He could normally tell when something had upset Chiri compared to when she was just in a bad mood. She could see he was trying hard to keep up with what Piccolo was trying to teach them. Maybe if Piccolo turned it down and made things simpler, he'd be able to keep up, she thought.

"What?" The Namekian barked, voice echoing off the nearby trees. "What do you mean you can't?"

Chiri looked down at her feet, feeling her face light up. She knew she was gonna get the blame for this.

"I mean I can't!" Goten cried, tiny fists trembling at his sides. He looked as if he'd burst into tears. "No one's taught me! It's not my fault!"

"This is disgraceful!" Piccolo's fury turned to the other Son. "I thought you'd been teaching him!"

"Well… you've seen how good he is at controlling his ki…" Chiri grumbled, knowing now there were two sets of angry eyes instead of one pinned on her. "It's hard explaining stuff to someone who doesn't get it! You think I didn't try?"

"I am not bad at controlling my ki!" Goten protested.

"Yes you are!" Piccolo quickly turned on the child before turning back to the teenager. "And I'd say you didn't try hard enough! Someone should have taken over this child's training sooner!"

"Oh and you would have done it?" Chiri snapped. "If it bothered you that much then you would have noticed it sooner! You're not as sharp as you're making out!"

She had a point, but it wasn't his job to make sure people in that house were up keeping the legacy their late father had left behind. He didn't care much for the tone she was using against him, especially as she had been the one to sort out his guidance years previously.

"Leave."

Her sharp gaze softened a little, a flicker of fear crossing over and betraying her. "What?"

"You think you're sharper than I am, then you don't need me to train you," The Namekian turned on his heels and strode off, cape flying wildly across the air. Within a flash he'd vanished, leaving the two alone.

Goten frowned. "Boy, he sounded really mad, Chiri."

Chiri crossed her arms and exhaled loudly. "Good, who needs him anyway? I surpassed him a while back anyway."

"Really?" Goten gawked awestruck. "You're stronger than Piccolo?"

"Yep," Chiri nodded, the anger fading a little. "If anything, I was doing him a favour by training with him."

There was little time for the growing smile on her face to blossom. The feel of someone closing in on them caught both siblings' attention; glancing over to the east, they watched as the eldest Son child came to a halt before them. Gohan's eyes glared straight at Chiri as if he would be able to snap her in half if he concentrated hard enough. The middle child could sense the malice coming from him, her hunches rose.

"What did you do to my room?" Gohan demanded.

Chiri raised an eyebrow, heart pounding in her ears. "What? I didn't do anything!"

"Don't lie; my room was an absolute mess when I got home!" Gohan bellowed. "I know it was you! Goten wouldn't have done it because he'd be training with-" The sight of Goten standing sheepishly looking on stopped him with surprise. Gohan looked at him momentarily before regaining his focus on his sister, "Well if Goten's here then it definitely couldn't have been him! I don't know what's got you so worked up recently but it's gonna stop now!"

"What are you talking about? I haven't been in your room!" Chiri hollered. "Besides, Goten's been here as long as I have so how does that argument work? You two share a room!"

Gohan once more looked at the youngest momentarily before again focusing on the middle child. "I know Goten wouldn't leave everything the way it was. Plus, you have a track record for taking your temper out on objects. You've done it to me before; your past doesn't help you. Mother wouldn't have done it, Goten wouldn't have done it, Grandpa wouldn't have done it."

"I'm telling you it's not me!" Chiri snapped. "Damn it!" She couldn't stay here or her temper would get the better of her. "I hate you!" And with that she threw herself from the ground, shooting as fast as she could in no particular direction, not caring where she went. How dare he! Tears streamed down her face, burning with heat. She hadn't done it. She hadn't been in their room in months – the last time she was in there was to ask Gohan something regarding the work she'd been set by their mother. Why didn't he trust her? She always got the blame for things that had either broken or gone missing in their house.

Goten watched on in sadness, keeping himself a little ways away from Gohan in respect of the malice radiating from him. Gohan was not pleasant when he was angry; unpleasant in a different way to Chiri. Chiri was more projective when it came to being annoyed; she would either hit out or shout her lungs out. Gohan on the other hand tended to be more passive and quiet, though his stare would be enough to let everyone know how angry he was.

He didn't feel brave enough to admit he'd been looking for Gohan's awesome new watch and had been called away before he could tidy up…

"We should head home," Gohan mused, sounding a lot calmer than a few moments ago.

"Ok," Goten nodded.

Gohan looked in anticipation but soon grew a little confused. Goten was staring at his feet, fists clenched a little. What, was he having a fit over something? "What's wrong?"

"I'm trying to…" Goten's voice sounded strained. Gohan couldn't help but recall a time he'd been talking to Goten calmly through the lavatory door and had been met with that voice. It'd taken a fair amount of convincing before Goten had opened the door, tears in his eyes, wailing that his bottom hurt (his words.) He hoped this was not a repeat of that moment. "Aren't you gonna call Kinto'Un?"

"Nnh," Goten grunted, shaking his head stiffly.

The older Son kept his eyes on the little one, picking up in the subtle change in his brother's ki. It clicked. So that's what he was trying to do. Why didn't he say so? But where had he picked it up from? Surely not Chiri – she made it fairly clear how much she hated training with Goten and how much she preferred her own company.

"Don't force it out, it needs to be called gently," Gohan reassured him.

Another couple of seconds passed before Goten huffed out a large sigh, shoulders sagging. "I can't do it! I could do it before!"

Gohan chuckled, "Hey, it's alright. It took me a few goes before I managed to fly. You just need a little more practise."

Goten still wasn't satisfied. "But I was doing fine earlier!"

"Tell you what," Gohan knelt down to his level, "After I finish school tomorrow, I'll help you learn how to fly. Does that sound alright?"

Goten looked at him in wonderment. "… But…" He sounded unconvinced. "… But you don't train."

"Doesn't mean I don't remember how to fly, Squirt," Gohan grinned. "Who do you think taught Chiri?"

"Piccolo," Goten deadpanned.

"Nope, not at first," Gohan grimaced. "I taught her the basics – including how to use her ki. You've definitely got the basics, it just needs a little tweeking. What do you think?"

Goten looked at the ground before raising his head to meet Gohan's gaze. The frown had gone. "Ok!" He nodded, excitement building in his posture. "You promise?"

"Of course I promise," Gohan nodded. "I don't break promises."

* * *

She left before the sun had fully risen, so she didn't have to bump into him. The air was damp and cold on her bare arms so she kept herself flying as quickly as she could. Catching hold of his life force, Chiri turned to the east, passing over the short patch of land and over the vast ocean. It took half an hour before she hit land again, flying over fields and mountains, turning a little further towards the north as she did so. From what she could guess, he had returned to Kami's Lookout.

He really must have been mad with them if he was trying to find solace up there. Chiri remained determined and continued her flight, taking a further hour before she finally closed in on familiar forest, spotting the thin white pillar sprouting out from the sea of trees and reaching high towards the heavens. Chiri arched herself back, changing her trajectory from horizontal to vertical, chasing up the tower towards the tip, passing Korin and Yajirobe, continuing further up towards the tiny dot high above: the lookout. The current resident Kami of the planet resided here, as expected of him, alongside his faithful aide… and apparently, Piccolo.

Chiri breached the tiled floor, reducing her speed greatly and landing safely upon the whitewashed floor. Before her, the palace looked as magnificent as ever. In front of it were three figures; one suspended with the other two watching on. The smaller Namekian had spotted her arrival and was now making his way towards her. Chiri smiled and helped to close the gap.

"You're looking well," Dende greeted her. "I think you've gotten taller too."

Chiri's gentle smile vanished, Dende flinching: "Sh-Shut up!" She hollered at the guardian. "You're the one who's short!"

Gohan had mentioned that it would be unwise for Dende to make any comments on his sister's height. What Vegeta lacked, Chiri made up in. She was already taller than Krillin and wasn't far off the short Saiyan! (His hair was a thankful advantage, she had muttered.) Quickly he recovered, relieved to see she'd already passed him and was making her way towards Piccolo, who was in one of his meditative trances. Whilst he may not have shown it, Dende knew Piccolo would be aware of their guest's arrival.

The glow that had been shimmering around him vanished as Piccolo opened his eyes, descending back down onto the ground. Mr Popo stood silently beside him, half the size of the taller Namekian. Chiri wasn't sure who was more naturally intimidating; Piccolo may have had the height and face but Mr Popo's apparent blank stare sent shivers down her spine.

"What are you here for?" Piccolo asked.

"I…" Chiri bit her lip and took in a deep breath. "… I wanted to train with you… if you'll let me."

Piccolo snorted, knees rising again as his legs crossed, floating off the ground again. "I meant what I said yesterday."

Chiri frowned; her gut had told her this would happen. "B-But-"

"Leave," Piccolo sternly cut her off, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "I have training to do."

So she left, distraught. Chiri didn't know what to do or who to go to. Tenshinhan and Chaozu would be hiding themselves away somewhere, plus they seemed to enjoy only each other's company. Chiri didn't want to be the third wheel. Krillin and Yamcha wouldn't be able to teach her much and neither would be able to handle a power like hers. Plus neither trained anymore. Then there was Vegeta: clearly not an option. She was the child of his hated enemy. Never in a million years would he even entertain the prospect of training her. Pity because in all likelihood, he was probably now the strongest person on this planet. Piccolo had been the most suitable candidate out of her father's old friends…

Her journey was not one with a fixed destination. So she found herself home without meaning to be, feet trampling the grass and kicking stones down the dirt path. She didn't wander towards the house, instead bypassing it and heading under the canopy of trees. The path soon turned left but she kept true to her path, now wandering through the tall grass, down the bank and through the shallow waters of the stream. The walk continued through the trees on the other bank, which eventually cleared and made way for a small meadow.

It was here she stumbled upon a bizarre sight.

Around the centre stood both of her brothers. The little one looked like he was hunched over doing something suspicious, whilst the older one was bent over right next to him. The sight made her eyebrows journey towards her hairline.

"No, Goten, you need to keep yourself calm. You're never gonna get off the ground like that." Gohan was insisting.

'… _Is he?'_ Chiri was pleasantly surprised. She made her way towards her brothers, curious as to whether her suspicions would be confirmed. The sound of her legs brushing against the grass caught their attention, both boys turning towards her. Their faces suggested she'd just interrupted them in some sort of secret meeting, or had caught them doing something awkward.

"I didn't think you were around," Gohan scratched his head. "Good timing. Hey, do you remember what I told you when I was teaching you how to fly?"

"Oh! I thought that was what you were trying to do," Chiri realised. "Sorry, I don't remember the exact words. Not going too well then?"

"H-He's doing well, it's just gonna take some time," Gohan explained.

Goten looked exhausted, falling to the ground with a thud on his butt. "Let's take a break… It's too hard."

"Geez, you look tired," Chiri raised a pitiful eyebrow. "You need to relax your muscles, Goten. It shouldn't take this much energy out of you."

"I'm trying!" The little child protested, waving a fist wildly above his head.

"Alright, alright," Chiri raised her hands. "Tell you what, I'll help too."

They ended up spending the entire day trying to pass on their wisdom of flying to the littlest Son, but by the time the sun was setting, still no movement off the ground. Chiri had been left feeling frustrated. She'd seen him take his feet from the ground yesterday – and unlike today it wasn't from jumping on the spot! What was it they were doing wrong?

Another couple of days saw Gohan and Chiri trying to teach Goten how to fly; Chiri would teach him during the day after they'd finished their homework, then Gohan would take over for an hour after returning home from school. Gohan would then need to call it a day so he could concentrate on his homework, whilst Goten would be called in to wind down for his bedtime. By the fifth evening, progress was finally made.

"Goten… Are you sure you are using your energy?" Gohan asked. "I can't think of what else it could be."

"He is," Chiri mumbled, face resting on her palm, eyes barely open. "I can just about sense him manipulating it…"

Gohan exhaled loudly and sat down on the grass, rubbing his head. "Then I don't know what it could be…"

Goten frowned, seeing and hearing the tones of disappointment in them. "Maybe I'm not meant to fly like you two."

"Why would that be true?" Chiri groaned, face falling off her hand. She got to her feet and took in a small breath. "… Goten, show me how to make an energy attack, like the one we practised the other day?"

"Um…" Goten pondered this request. "… Oh, you mean the Kame… turtle turtle… that attack Dad used to do?"

"That's the one," Chiri nodded.

Gohan looked surprised. "… I didn't know you'd taught him that."

"There's a lot of things you don't know because you don't train with us," Chiri retorted. Gohan didn't take the bait as she'd anticipated, leaving her a little confused.

Goten got himself into the right stance… and then waited… and waited some more.

Chiri snorted. "Kamehameha. Kaah-mei-haah-mei-hah."

"I know," Goten grumbled. Chiri and Gohan both picked up on the flicker in their brother's ki, pulling into his hands. The familiar blue glint sparked between his palms, forming into a small orb of ki. The concentration and mixing caused a stir in the air, the grass dancing gently against their shins. Goten readied himself, smiling with pride.

"Wait – before you fire it!" Gohan gasped. "Goten, I want you to launch the Kamehameha against the ground at your feet and push yourself up that way."

Chiri raised an eyebrow. She could say with absolute confidence that such a move was not going to enable Goten to suddenly grasp control of his energy and fly confidently. So it was with scepticism she watched as Goten cried out "Kamekameha!" and threw his palms down. The blue beam fired, struck the soil and threw the seven-year-old clean into the sky. Judging by his response, Chiri assumed Goten had not expected to have been thrown so violently and high into the air! The child floundered and screamed, shooting hundreds of metres into the air, turning into a speck high above his older siblings.

"That's probably the closest we're gonna get to him flying," Gohan said, a small smile spreading across his face.

"He said it wrong again!" Chiri huffed.

Goten started falling back towards them.

"Uh oh, how's he gonna handle this one?" Gohan muttered, smile fading.

Chiri jumped up to meet him, quickly levelling with him and falling alongside him. "Feel my ki, Goten? Notice how I'm manipulating it? That's what you need to do!"

"I-I-I-I can't!" Goten hollered. "I'm gonna crash!"

Chiri pouted and rolled her eyes. "Fine!" She snatched him by the arms and pulled him close, landing safely on the grass with little brother in tow. She could feel him shaking. It shocked her.

Was Goten scared of heights?


	3. AoT Chapter 03

**Chapter 03 – Annoying brothers and Stroppy Sisters**

Goten slowly continued to make progress. Over the next week, Chiri had found her homework slipping in favour of helping her little brother fight his demons and learn to fly. Her concerns over him being afraid of heights were quickly quashed one morning when Goten reported having gone to visit one of his dinosaur friends on Kinto'Un to find he was nowhere to be found. She'd seen him return without batting an eyelid or showing any outwardly signs of being afraid.

So her thoughts then went to the next logical conclusion: he liked having support to keep him steady. It was something he was going to have to get over.

The day in question was one in which Gohan did not have high school to attend, so the two siblings ended up trying to help their younger brother track Chobi down. It didn't take too long before Gohan summoned the two younger siblings using the signal; raising their ki. Both Chiri and Goten were horrified to learn that the tiny dinosaur had been taken from his parents and his home in order to star in a travelling circus. Gohan had come across a flyer advertising the circus' newest attraction in one of the nearby towns.

"That's barbaric!" Chiri hollered. "Who would do that to a poor defenceless baby? I hope Chobi eats the one who kidnapped him!"

"But Chobi doesn't eat people," Goten pointed out, though the anxiety in his voice was evident. "How are we going to get him back safely?"

Chiri wondered the same thing. The three of them had known Chobi and his family for a few years, even prior to Chobi's birth. His mother was very defensive over her baby, even showing signs of aggression towards them of all people while incubating the egg. The father had a vicious temper at the best of times, hardly giving a second thought to anything before attacking. Having become parents had only sharpened their aggression towards imposters and potential threats even more. Gohan and Chiri had been sad to have to take a step back and interact less with them, having known them the longest. However, Goten seemed to have an uncanny ability to make mother and father dinosaur turn to putty in his hands.

Getting their precious baby back without mummy or daddy knowing was going to be near-on impossible.

"We have to save him!" Goten wailed. "I want Chobi back!"

"Don't worry, Goten. We will save him," Gohan reassured him. "I'm going to head into town and check this place out for myself. It's really important Chobi doesn't panic too much or get overexcited, so I'm gonna have to ask you and Chiri to stay here and wait."

"What? That's not fair!" Goten protested.

Chiri sighed. "… No, Goten. He's right. If all three of us went, Chobi would be ecstatic to see us and would end up making too much noise, which would blow our cover. We need it to be covert – quiet," she quickly added seeing the confusion.

"You guys might as well continue Goten's flying lessons," Gohan suggested. "It's not gonna be much longer now until you've got this whole flying business pinned down, Squirt."

Goten looked solemn. "… Alright." He exhaled defeated.

Gohan patted the little demi-Saiyan on the head, ruffling it a little in support. "You're so close, it wouldn't surprise me if you managed to fly when I get back. Do your best – for Chobi."

Goten nodded silently. He and Chiri watched as Gohan took to the skies headed north-west. Chiri had a bad feeling she couldn't shake off but paid little heed to it; she had a far more challenging job to deal with. Catching Goten's attention with a twitch of her head, she began to lead him across the valley of mesas towards a flatter area; there would be less obstacles for them to hit should Goten miraculously throw himself skywards. Their journey was quiet, Goten not uttering a word until Chiri asked him if he were ready, having stopped in what she deemed to be a suitable place to practise. "Yes." Came his muted response, clearly still distracted by Chobi's absence.

The session was long and pressing; still Goten was struggling to control his ki. So Chiri went back to basics and asked him to show her an energy ball.

Goten concentrated, focusing his energy into his palm. At once, the small light of his ki shone, forming into a small ball in the palm of his hand.

Chiri was dumbstruck. She sank to the grass and exhaled loudly, resting her head on her hand. "I don't understand how you can make a ki attack as easily as you do, yet you can't manipulate your energy and make yourself fly… This is beyond me."

Goten frowned. "I'm sorry. I'm trying my best to push my energy to my feet but it's not working. All it does is make the ground move."

Chiri looked at him. "Your feet? Dude, it comes from your gut. Gohan told you this yesterday."

Now it was Goten's turn to stare incredulously at his sister. After a moment a sheepish grin crossed over his face. "Ah, I forgot about that."

Chiri snorted. It was no use getting cross when he pulled that adorable, stupid face. Goten's memory wasn't the best. "Right, well it'd be really good if you remembered. So have you been trying to force your energy through your feet?"

"I thought that's what I had to do," Goten pouted. "You didn't say!"

"Why would I have to when Gohan's already told you?" Chiri retorted, getting to her feet. "Let's try this…" She walked towards Goten, who took a tentative step back. "Don't worry, I'm just gotta put my hand on your tummy and ask you to move your energy around. You have to use the energy in your gut to fly, not push it into your feet. You do that and you're basically trying to fire energy blasts through your souls! It's gotta be in your gut. I wanna see how much control you have over that part of you." She placed a hand gently on Goten's stomach, careful not to use too much force. "Ok little dude, try and move the ki in your stomach."

"… How do I do that?" Goten asked. "I've never moved it before… and where am I moving it to?"

Chiri frowned. Explaining this was going to be the difficult bit. Articulacy was not her best trait. "Well… you know that feeling you get when you get angry and your tummy gets hot?"

"Uh huh," Goten nodded.

"Well your ki has to be around that same spot. When you move it, it might feel like your belly's getting warm but it's not because you're angry, it's because you'll be moving the energy around." Chiri explained. "Try it."

Goten began to pull a face as he did as his sister instructed. Chiri felt his muscles tense and immediately shook her head. "No, you can't use your muscles. You have to focus deeper and keep your body relaxed."

Goten didn't say anything but she knew he was complaining internally. She felt his stomach muscles softly loosen, allowing her to sense deeper into him and look for any fluctuations in his energy. There was a small flicker; she felt the smile cross her face. "Good, you're calling it out. Keep on going." Slowly his energy began to move, muscles tensing every-so-often before relaxing again. Though it wasn't long until Goten gasped and took a couple of stumbled steps back.

"That was a good first try," Chiri rose to full height again, pleased to know there was still hope. It still baffled her how much he'd seemed to have responded to Piccolo's tutorage and had slipped so far back from learning how to fly when she and Gohan had started teaching him. Perhaps Piccolo had been manipulating Goten's ki somehow?

"I wanna try again," Goten huffed, getting himself into a steady stance. "I could feel it. It felt strange but I know I can do that again."

"Be my guest," Chiri nodded, kneeling down and placing her palm on his stomach again. At this rate, it could even be that Gohan would return to see their little brother floating.

The afternoon passed without much success but Chiri could take solace in the knowledge that Goten seemed to have picked up on what he needed to manipulate. She could only assume that Piccolo had indeed manipulated Goten's energy with his bizarre powers, or had simply picked Goten up with some kind of telekinesis. She would ask him at some point when she got a moment; right now her time was taken up with teaching her brother and completing the work their mother had set for her. Gohan eventually returned home with good news, taking Goten to see Chobi after dinner before he settled down for bed. Chiri decided to let the two brothers have some time between themselves, returning to the work she'd left uncompleted. Her mother would skin her alive if she knew Chiri had lied to her about finishing it before training.

It always led to an awkward situation when Chichi popped her head around the door to see her daughter's head in the books.

"What're you doing?" She asked.

Chiri jolted upright, apparently having been too engrossed in her studies to notice the door open. "Oh, just going over some answers," She responded as calmly as she could muster, making an attempt to keep the blank page as covered as possible.

"I'm surprised you didn't go with the boys," Chichi strode in, a large pile of clothes in her arms. "These are dry." Turning on her heels, she left her daughter to work, allowing Chri to breathe a small sigh of relief.

* * *

Another morning, another batch of work to complete before finally being given the all-clear to head out into the open. Goten seemed to have found a hidden batch of moxie in him, bouncing about his sister as they made their way to a suitable spot for training. Gohan wouldn't be home for another four hours. That sounded like a reasonable amount of time to get Goten up in the air and flying. He'd come close to floating on the spot yesterday.

It didn't take long before the results started to show.

Goten had been concentrating on controlling and manipulating the energy in his gut for the past half an hour. As he concentrated for his first attempt, Chiri felt the familiar signs of his energy being warped. She felt his energy shift… and then smiled with glee when she saw him begin to rise, feet leaving the ground with a gentle sway of his aura flattening the grass underneath.

"Yes!" She cheered. "Goten you're floating! You're actually floating!"

"Yay! I'm doing it!" Goten threw his fists up high- faltering and thudding back onto the grass. "Ow!"

Chiri laughed, feeling guilty about doing so but finding she couldn't help it. That had been such a Goten moment; he could be so clumsy and goofy when he wanted to be. "You're not supposed to fall straight down!"

"Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Goten protested loudly but it only made Chiri laugh harder. Clenching his fists tightly, seething with embarrassment and annoyance towards her, he did what any angry seven-year-old would do. He lashed out, dashing forward and launching a fist that smacked Chiri clean in the nose. The teen had been off-guard, stumbling back on her heels before coming to a steady hault. Goten was on top of her immediately, still throwing his fists down on her. This time Chiri had her guard up, her own anger pricking away at her. "Stop it!" Goten protested throwing his hands down – Chiri caught him by the wrists and launched both feet into his stomach, sending the little Son child several metres through the air and crashing to the floor in a ball.

Chiri got to her feet, wiping the blood from her nose. "What the heck was that about? Grow up!" She snapped. "Mother's gonna be furious when she finds out what you did, idiot!"

Goten wailed something inaudible, still curled up in a ball on his side, clutching his stomach. Chiri growled under her breath and made her way towards him, standing over him.

"Come on, we'll get ourselves cleaned up at the stream so Mother doesn't notice."

"No!" This time Chiri did hear him. Goten peeked over his shoulder, tears streaming down his face joining with the loose contents of his nose. "That hurt! Mother's gonna tell you off!"

"Ugh, you're such a baby," Chiri grumbled rolling her eyes. "Fine, stay here by yourself then. But I'll just head straight home and show Mother the blood dripping from my nose." She made her way to leave but was caught by the ankle by her protesting brother.

"No! No, you can't tell her! She won't believe you!"

"Yes she will," Chiri retorted. "How else would I have gotten this? Gohan's not here so it couldn't have been because of him!"

"No, don't tell her!" Goten wailed louder than before, tears falling harder and faster. "I-I'll tell her you kicked me!"

"I kicked you because you were hitting me!" Chiri snapped back, attempting to shake his grip from her ankle, quickly succeeding and jumping back a couple more steps as he made another attempt to latch onto her. "Goten you need to learn to control your temper! You can't just go hitting people just because they make you mad!"

"But you do that!" Goten hollered.

' _Be that as it may, that's not the point!'_ Chiri felt her cheeks redden. "Y-Yeah well that doesn't mean it's ok. I sometimes do it but not very often. Besides, when I do it it's because the person deserves it!"

Goten seemed to want to mull this over. Chiri felt her shoulders relax. At the very least, it was calming them both down that mattered most right now. She didn't particularly want to go and find their mother because she knew she had been just as bad as Goten by hitting him in retaliation. He'd only hit her because she'd been laughing at him – she knew Goten hated being laughed at. She did too. So perhaps… no, no matter how she tried to justify it, she had not deserved to be hit!

"That flying you did a moment ago looked really promising," She interrupted his trail of thought. "Why don't we try it again once we get cleaned up? Seriously," She raised her eyebrows, "blood stains clothes, Goten. If I don't get this off my face and off my shirt, Mother is going to know for sure."

* * *

Gohan eventually returned home, though later than expected. Chichi was very concerned to see her eldest had returned home with a cut across his left cheek. Chiri had been surprised at first but had then remembered what he had set out to do.

"Toto hurt you?" Goten sounded worried. "What did you do?"

"It was an accident," Gohan explained. "I had to stop him from hurting those around us, he was furious… so…" He looked awkwardly down at his empty plate. "… I had to knock him out."

"What?" Goten gasped horrified.

"I don't suppose his wife took that well?" Chiri mumbled.

"It's ok, Goten," Gohan quickly cut in, "Toto's fine. We flew him back until he woke up, then he flew himself back home with Chobi and his wife."

"At least Chobi is back home with his family," Chichi smiled. "I'll bet he was pleased to see his mother and father again. They must have been so worried with him being kidnapped, the poor things."

"I still can't believe he got a clean shot at you," Chiri mused, eyes set on her older brother. "What happened? You used to be so good at dodging!"

"I'm not going to use my powers in front of a large crowd of regular people," Gohan protested calmly. "Saiyaman or not, I can't go and give too much away. It's bad enough people know he can fly and that his super strength and speed will out-do any villain that comes his way!"

Chiri snorted at this remark but kept her thoughts to herself. He really seemed to be enjoying the limelight. But what did he mean by Saiyaman? _'Is that seriously the name of your superhero get-up?'_

"Can we go see Chobi again tomorrow?" Goten asked.

* * *

Goten was getting better and better at controlling his energy. Chiri couldn't help but smile every time his feet left the ground. Soon he had begun to move himself mid-air, Chiri encouraging him to slow down at any given moment and cringing every time he came inches from hitting into trees or mesas. She knew he would be excited to show Gohan how far he'd come when he returned home.

Gohan's return came with a large surprise.

"What?" Chichi's voice made the foundations rattle. "Absolutely not! We just got you into school – you are not staying home to train! Absolutely not!"

Chiri hid her face behind her bowl. Did he really have to have this conversation in the middle of dinner with her and Goten having to sit through this? Their mother wasn't even angry with them and yet Chiri felt that every shout was directed at her!

"But Mother, it'll only be for one month!" Gohan protested, voice sounding more like a wail than a shout back. "The tournament will be a great source of income – the winner receives ten million zeni!"

Chiri's eyes widened at this, bowl lowering and clonking against the wooden table, hiding her dropped jaw.

"T-Ten million?!" Chichi hollered exasperated.

' _He used the money tactic!'_ Chiri noted, impressed and not too surprised Gohan had pulled his trump card out quickly. It meant less shouting for one thing and it was likely to make their mother agree to his demands. It wasn't often Gohan showed such determination to train, she was still trying to get past the notion this conversation was actually happening.

"We could use that to get Goten and Chiri into decent schools and build another extension to the house so you and Goten could have your own rooms, plus think of how many years' worth of bills that would pay!" Chichi had entered her imagination, hands clasped together. "Of course you can enter, Gohan! Of course!"

"Thanks Mother," Gohan smiled relieved. "I wanted to ask you before I told you the other news…"

"Other news?" Chichi repeated anxiously. "What?"

"You didn't get someone pregnant, did you?" Chiri asked.

The table shuddered as Gohan all but fell off his chair, face as red as a tomato. "N-No!" He hollered.

Chichi had taken a large knock from that comment too, only her response was more terrifying. "Don't make such bad accusations, Chiri! I did not teach you the way of the birds and bees for you to be making such vile comments such as that!"

"Geez, it was just a joke!" Chiri grumbled.

"Gohan, what was you about to tell us?" Chichi ignored her daughter's muttering, still evidently annoyed.

"Well, to put it simply, I spoke to Dad today." Gohan explained. "He's allowed to come back to Earth for a day because of all he's done for the universe, so he's decided he wants to come back on the day of the tournament and participate."

The table went eerily quiet. Gohan had clearly expected this reaction but Chiri had not expected this kind of news. She'd assumed he was going to announce he'd gotten himself a girlfriend or that he'd aced a test.

Before she knew it, she'd left her place at the table and had walked herself to her room, closing the door behind her. She reached her bed and let her body fall forward, face striking her pillow. She didn't get up, just stayed there for as long as she needed to, making sure to breathe properly and allow herself momentary relief from the heat on her face.

A knock came at her door. Chiri did not respond. She didn't want to acknowledge anyone else existed right now. The news had shaken her up. The worst part was she didn't know how it made her feel. A torrent of emotions seemed to be swirling violently inside her like a tornado, ripping apart anything and everything it could find. She felt the springs of her bed creak as the edge of her mattress sloped down.

"What was that about?" Her mother asked gently. Then nothing. Chiri knew she wasn't going to leave but she had no answer to give her. What was she expecting her to say? That she had just randomly decided to leave the table without saying anything? Would she blame it on her daughter being a hormonal teenager again?

"… I know your relationship with your father was… strained towards the end," Chichi continued. "… Think of what this means for Goten."

Chiri sighed. Goten had never met their father, so chances were he would be feeling a mixture of things like she was… only with the anger and hurt missing. He would be excited at finally meeting his dad, whilst also being anxious having to meet a stranger.

"Think about what it means for Gohan… and me…" Chichi rose from her sitting position, leant over her daughter and kissed her on the back of her head. "… Chances are, when you do that, you'll think of how it really makes you feel."

Chiri didn't acknowledge her mother leaving the room. What was she talking about? How would thinking about how everyone else felt about it help her to decide that yes, she was glad he was coming back too. She didn't know how she felt. She didn't know whether to cry with happiness at the prospect of getting to see him again, or be furious and decide to avoid him. He'd chosen to not live with them – he'd had the chance to be brought back to life. He'd chosen death over them because he'd believed it would keep the Earth safe from danger. Then exactly a year after his death, Bojack and his cronies had attacked… So much for Earth being safe.

He hadn't believed in her the way Gohan had. She wanted to show him just how much better she was. She wanted to challenge him to a fight – the thing he loved do to the most – and then beat him to show him she could do things and that he was an idiot for thinking she couldn't. But she also didn't want to see him because it made her want to cry. But she did want to see him because he was her father and at the end of the day he was the glue that kept his group of friends together and he was the influence Gohan needed to take training seriously again.

What was she supposed to feel? She'd accepted he was never coming back, that he'd moved on into the next life. How was she supposed to react hearing that he would be back but only for twenty-four hours? What was the point of that?

This afternoon she'd felt genuine excitement over Goten's progress. Now she felt an utter mess.


	4. AoT Chapter 04

**Chapter 04 – Interloper in the Ranks**

Chiri had thought the news about her dead father's temporary return had been hard to take.

She had not expected what happened a couple of days later.

She'd responded to the knock on the door (as apparently no one else bothered to answer the door in this house anymore) and had been genuinely surprised to see a girl stood the other side of it, her jet parked up a little ways from the house. Her first impression was one of wariness; the girl's scowl put her on edge, yet it seemed bizarre when paired with pigtails. Little girls wore pigtails, Chiri thought. Was this fashionable now? Fashion was weird, Chiri told herself.

"Hi there, does Son Gohan live here?" The girl asked. Chiri couldn't help notice she was literally eye-to-eye with this girl.

"You're a high school student?" She asked baffled.

The girl opposing her's eyes narrowed. "Yeah! What's it to you?"

Chiri inwardly cried. It made her feel even more aware of how freakishly tall she was for her age. Damn this short girl! Heading back to topic, Chiri quickly concluded this was a classmate. Maybe a girlfriend. _'Eew… I hope she's not his girlfriend.'_ Chiri grimaced. Gohan with a girlfriend? Chiri'd always imagined if that were to happen, his girlfriend would be just as nerdy as he was and have freckles and glasses and probably a lisp of some kind… though she imagined they'd never meet up or talk because they'd both be too absorbed in reading books.

"Does he live here or not?" The girl asked agitated.

"Who's there?" Chiri's mother's voice called from somewhere behind, the sound of approaching footsteps telling Chiri that her mother had come to see what was going on. The older woman's eyes pinned onto the visitor at the door, narrowing. "Oh, can we help you?" She'd swept her way in front of her daughter within an instant, effectively blockading the door. Chiri took a small step back, dodging her mother's angled elbows, hands resting on her hips.

"Hi there, I'm looking for Son Gohan," The pig-tailed girl explained. "Is he home?"

Chichi's brows lowered. "He's out. Why do you want to know? You're not here to ask him out on a date, are you?"

The pig-tailed girl's brows fell, matching the scowl of the woman opposite her. "I'm not here for that!"

"Are you sure?" Chichi wasn't buying it. "Why else would you be here? Look, Gohan has a lot of work to do and he doesn't need someone like you disturbing and distracting him!"

"I am not here to ask him on a date!" The girl snapped.

Chiri watched cautiously as the two women went back and forth arguing over their case, eyes still on the visitor. Her blue eyes contrasted heavily against the dark hair passing down her cheeks, curling over her shoulders. What struck her the most was the feel of her life-force. For a human, it was surprisingly decent. _'Interesting…'_ It was comparable to her mother's… and that was a disturbing revelation. At this rate the only people he'd have chasing him were those who seemed to heavily resemble their mother. _'Eww…'_

She wasn't sure whether Gohan and Goten returning at this moment in time was good or bad. Regardless, Gohan called them as they approached, forcing the two older women to stop their argument and turn.

"How did you know where I lived?" He asked.

"The student roaster, duh," The pigtailed girl answered gruffly. "What's the deal? Think you can get out of our agreement by not showing up to school? Fat chance; you're still going to teach me otherwise you know what will happen!"

"Don't worry, I wasn't trying to get out of it," Gohan replied calmly. "I will still teach you."

"Teach her?" Chiri repeated. _'You're getting people asking you to help them with work? You pushover!'_

"Excuse me?" Chichi butted in, still throwing metaphorical daggers at the visitor. "My son can't teach you; he's training for the upcoming Tenkaichi Budokai!"

"It's alright, Mother," Gohan reassured her, "Actually, Videl is the one who told me about the Budokai. It's because of her that I'm even considering entering."

Chiri raised her eyebrows, surprised the news hadn't come from someone in their circle as opposed to someone from his school. Again she sussed out the older girl's life force, again getting the feeling that this girl was involved in some kind of martial arts training. Well, perhaps it did make sense but what were the odds of Gohan going to school with someone in the know? The Tenkaichi Budokai was the tournament that reunited her parents before they married, or at least she thought it was.

The visitor, apparently named Videl, harrumphed and lifted her chin.

Attitude and no manners, Chiri concluded. That reminded her of a certain Saiyan currently residing in West City… not to mention an agitated Namekian currently hiding away at Dende's. What was it with their family and attracting that kind of person?

Chichi still looked as if she would spit poison but conceded. "…Alright then, teach her." It felt as if a weight had been lifted off everyone's shoulders, "…but…" The weight had been doubled. "… let's get one thing straight: don't try and use this to snag him, just keep your filthy hands off my son!"

"I told you I'm not interested in your son!" Videl bellowed loudly, cheeks colouring. "Get it through your head, lady!"

Chiri flinched, taking another couple of steps back as her mother took one forward.

"Alright, that's it!" Chichi hollered. "My son may have agreed to teach you some fandangle technique but you won't be learning a thing if you come back to this house with such rudeness! Our family is counting on Gohan to win the prize money at this tournament and the last thing we need is for Gohan to be distracted by an uncouth, disrespectful hussy like you!"

"I'm not a hussy!" Videl screamed back. Chiri couldn't help but notice the three strongest fighters within this gathering were standing well clean of the two weaker ones, and yet these two seemed to have the aura to keep them all at bay. Kudos to this girl for matching their mother's fury but she was incredibly foolish if she thought their mother was going to take any of this lying down. "We're training for a martial arts tournament- not eloping!" The pigtailed girl continued. "The two don't mix!"

"Maybe Mother's worried…" Goten perked up. His two siblings looked at him as if he may as well insulted the two dragons stuck between them. "She and Dad met at the Budokai and got married there, didn't you Mother?"

"Th-That was different!" Chichi flashed a deep shade of magenta. "Y-Your father and I were already in love! Things are completely different between these two!"

"Trust me, I will not be doing anything untoward your son." Videl growled, quieter than before. "All I wanna do is learn how to fly."

"Fly?" Chiri repeated.

"Sure, I guess we can start tomorrow," Gohan bravely responded, face as red as beet.

"No, we start now," Videl countered. "I did not fly all the way here for you to just blow me off and tell me to come back tomorrow. We do this now or else!"

"Ok, ok, now is fine!" Gohan waved his hands in front of himself. "Let's go find somewhere a little better than here…"

Curiosity got the better of Chiri. Apparently it struck Goten first, who then asked his sister if they could go and watch Gohan teach the new girl. Chiri felt it would be rude to intrude but she couldn't help but want to check this new girl out more. Videl seemed interesting. She seemed to have an aptitude for irking their mother and then apparently hold her own against her wrath. She seemed to have a life force that suggested she had experience in martial arts. She also seemed to have a mysterious power over her brother and Chiri had to find out what she'd done to make her brother cower under her gaze.

"Alright, we can go," Chiri conceded defeat, "but you have to make sure you're as quiet as a mouse. They can't know we're watching them!"

"Ok," Goten nodded.

So they set off, lightly treading across the field headed in the same direction Gohan and Videl had travelled. It didn't take long to find where they'd decided to set up; keeping their presence a secret was going to be difficult. The trees and shrubbery were a fair distance from where the two stood, a good few hundred metres into the open fields leading towards the mesa stacks. Hiding here would make it very difficult to catch any conversation between the two, unless Chiri and Goten ended up being down-wind – which they weren't as it turned out. Chiri scowled annoyed and climbed up into a small tree, settling down upon a branch hidden behind the wall of leaves. Goten shifted beside her, eager to get a decent view. "Why are we hiding in a tree?"

"Duh, did you forget? We don't want them to know we are here," Chiri hissed. "Now keep your voice down! If we're lucky, the new girl will start shouting so we can hear."

Goten frowned. "…Alright… but I wanted to train with them."

"Well you can't, so there." Chiri responded in a hushed voice. The two fell silent, watching for any signs of movement. They seemed to be doing a lot of talking. Part of Chiri was almost waiting for the new girl to suddenly try and kiss her brother, though that sounded unlikely. What was wrong, why would she even think that? _'Stupid hormones.'_

Several times Videl's ki twitched but nothing came of the movement. Chiri felt disappointed but then what had she been expecting? This girl practised martial arts but clearly had no sense of control over her energy. What a novice.

Goten quickly grew bored and left the tree, vanishing for a little while. It was only when he returned that Chiri gave up and climbed down from the tree. "Well, nothing interesting is going to happen here. It looks like she doesn't even have basic control of her ki… Even you could take her down!"

"You think so?" Goten asked looking a little too cheerful. "… I dunno. I don't think Mother would like it if I had a fight with anyone. She doesn't really like it when Trunks and I play some of our games, she says they're too rough."

"Oh, really?" Chiri raised her eyebrows. "Last time I checked, you guys did a lot of running around and sparring… Although I can see why she'd say sparring was too rough, it is fighting after all."

"Gohan was a really tough opponent today," Goten continued. "He's really strong… but I don't think he was being as strong as you usually are."

Chiri smiled. "Yeah well, Gohan doesn't train like your big strong sister does!"

"Yeah but he can still turn into that Super Saiyan thing." Goten seemed unfazed by his sister's passive insults. "He was really surprised to see me do it though."

The stunned look crossed quickly across her face. Chiri stared at her brother. "You went Super Saiyan? You chose to become one?"

"Yeah," Goten nodded. "Gohan was one so why couldn't I be one?"

Chiri looked at her brother astounded. _'Well he is about the same age I was…'_ She recalled. "… You're lucky Mother wasn't around to see you do that. You remember what she said when you showed her, right?"

The memory had clearly returned as the smile had faded on Goten's face. "… Yeah, I remember." She'd called him a monster and a hooligan as soon as he'd transformed, after having kicked her in retaliation during a training session.

Chiri sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Maybe we ought to do something more constructive with our time. We could be training instead of watching these two. Come on, let's go find somewhere decent."

* * *

Videl came back the next day. Only it took Chiri a moment to recognise her. For one, her hair was drastically different. Her new hairstyle made her look a lot older than Chiri now as opposed to the same age! Chiri felt she wore the short hairstyle look better; her hair had much more volume to it compared to how flat Videl's hair looked. She knew who she was but she couldn't help but mutter, "Oh would you look at that; someone's put a mirror in front of the door."

Videl exhaled and rolled her eyes, "Is he in?"

"He was," Chiri responded. "Gone out with our little bro, catch him around the fields if you can."

And with that, Videl had left the doorway and had jumped back into her jet. With a terrifying roar of the engines, the craft rose into the sky and bolted towards the mountains. Chiri couldn't help but snort, glad she wasn't the one having to put up with this girl's constant company.

Videl came back the day after that. By the fifth day, she seemed to have gained control of her energy to the point she could hover off the ground. Chiri was waiting for her training session to finish for the day, wanting to have a sparring session with her older brother.

Ever since this girl had started forcing him to teach her how to control her energy, Gohan had seemed more eager to participate in sparring sessions with Goten. Chiri had to see for herself just how she compared to him whilst she had the opportunity. She still hadn't decided if she wanted to enter this tournament too. Gohan was entering, as was Videl apparently. Gohan had told the family that Krillin and Eighteen would be there, as would Piccolo and Vegeta and Trunks. Goten had been given permission to join. Of course everyone else within their group would be cheering them on from the sidelines. Chiri just wasn't sure whether she'd be in the sidelines or on the staging ring battling undetermined opponents.

You ok, Chiri?" Gohan called over, making Chiri jolt.

"Uh, yeah," She nodded.

"Oh. You just looked like you were having difficulty with something…" Gohan mused, turning his attention back to Videl, who once again was floating a few feet off the ground.

"What did she do to you?" Chiri couldn't stop herself from asking as soon as Videl had left. "She's got you wrapped around her little finger. Did you suddenly forget how to say no to people?"

"Hey, I could have said no," Gohan protested, "…only it wouldn't have ended well for us. I would have had to have given up going to my high school."

"Why?" Chiri asked.

"It's a long story," Gohan avoided answering.

Chiri wasn't buying it. "It can't be that long. If she hadn't been wearing your school's badge, I'd have sworn she was the same age as I am."

Gohan snorted. "You do realise you're freakishly tall for a thirteen year old? At this rate you'll be the same height as Grandpa when you become an adult!"

"Shut up Gohan!" Chiri spat fire from her mouth. "You're not exactly average for your height either you nerdy stick-insect! It's not funny!" His laugh only irritated her more so she punched him in the arm, oddly not satisfied even when she did hit him. What was it with brothers and being able to get on their sister's nerves?

"Then again I don't think Videl was impressed," Gohan rubbed his arm. "She was surprised to find out you were only thirteen."

"I was surprised to sense her life force," Chiri mused. "It was pretty decent for a human."

"Yeah, well she's spent a lot of her life training under her father," Gohan explained. "She's picking up flying faster than Goten did which is promising. She should be flying with confidence tomorrow, which hopefully will mean that on the day after, we can all start our training for real."

Chiri paused, looking more solemn at the sky. "… Is he really coming back?"

"Who, Dad?" Gohan found his eyes drifting up to the sky. "Yeah, he's coming back for sure. Looking forward to it?"

It took a while for her to answer. "I'm not too sure I am. I mean I miss him and all but he makes me cross." She didn't care much for the chuckle that came out of Gohan's mouth. "I'm serious! I really don't know how to feel about this. On one hand I wanna hug him, on the other I wanna deck him in the nose."

"You can't be serious? Really?" Gohan snorted with amusement. "… Well, he'd probably see that as a way of training if you tried to punch him."

Chiri glared at him. "Tried? Excuse me? I wouldn't try to hit him – I would hit him!"


	5. AoT Chapter 05

**AN:** This will be the final story upload of 2015. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let's see what 2016 brings.

\- LilDBZBuddy89

* * *

 **Chapter 05 – Mistaken Identity**

"The Dragonballs?" Chiri repeated. "Why do you wanna go look for those?"

"Trunks wants to make a wish," Goten explained, chipper as ever. "He says that when you get all seven together, a huge terrifying dragon appears and grants you any wish you want."

Chiri was sceptical. "I thought you and Trunks both wanted to enter this tournament? You won't be at your best if you both go off on a Dragonball hunt when you could be spending your time-"

"Bye!" Goten dashed out the front door, his shrill voice calling out for Kinto'Un as the door slammed, leaving his sister in a mildly irritated mood for the majority of the morning. Well if he wasn't going to take it seriously then he'd find himself going out in the first round, she decided. Getting herself ready to do some more serious training, Chiri headed out towards the mesas on the horizon, deciding to train in solitude. It was on the way to her destination that she found herself with company.

Gohan was heading away from the tall rock stacks looking a little uncertain. It was enough to intrigue Chiri. "What's wrong?" She was surprised to see him alone, minus his tag-along friend who hadn't let up since her first arrival.

"Did you see Goten this morning?" Gohan asked. "He says he's going off to find the Dragonballs with Trunks. Who knows why?"

"Yeah, he said," Chiri nodded. "Apparently Trunks wants to make a wish on them… it'd better not be a stupid one. With luck, Bulma will put a stop to their stupid ideas!"

"If Trunks is anything like his mother, he'll find a way to ignore her and will make a wish regardless," Gohan chuckled. "… Videl decided to go with them."

Chiri's eyebrows raised. "Really? I thought she was more interested in flying and making your life a misery."

"Hey, she's not so bad," Gohan was quick to counter. "Once she heard about the Dragonballs, she seemed adamant she wanted to go. At least we know someone responsible will be with the boys."

' _Much rather her than me…'_ Chiri mused to herself. _'Then again, I don't think Trunks' will know what'll hit him with her on board.'_

"Anyway, since I'm no longer training the two of them, I was wondering if you'd wanna have a sparring match with me?" Gohan continued. "I know it's been a few years since our last one and I don't know what your plans for today were."

Chiri found herself unable to control her mouth, the smile creeping up on her like a ninja in the dark. A sparring session with Gohan? That hadn't happened in the past four years, when his training went from neglected to non-existent. "Sure, I'll spar with you. Are we being serious or are we warming up and then going into a serious sparring session?"

"Always warm up before sparring, Sis," Gohan shook his head with a small grin. "Geez, you berate me for not training in so long and you even have to ask that?"

"I've already warmed up," Chiri growled, not caring much for the patronising tone in his voice. _'Fine, I'll push you to your limit quickly rather than slowly!'_ "Super Saiyan or not?"

"You can use Super Saiyan if you think it'll help," Gohan replied tauntingly.

"I'm thinking it'll be more to your benefit actually," Chiri retorted. "Remember, I've been training a lot more than you."

As Gohan began stretching his limbs, Chiri figured it wouldn't hurt to do the same again; this way she could guarantee she'd warmed up sufficiently. Once the stretching was done, the two took ten paces back from the other and turned once their journey had been completed, staring the other down. Chiri tensed, sensing the slight distortion in Gohan's life force as he prepared himself for battle, Chiri doing the same in response.

It was she who moved first. Within a blink, Gohan was also charging towards her. Within inches, the two both leapt into the sky and started to throw out their limbs, Chiri's long arms able to block Gohan's punches and elbows, hers denied access by his blocks. She ducked under his punch, missed her kick by a hair's breadth and caught his sash as he leapt back. He came back, launching out one long leg for Chiri to dodge, leaping over and throwing a punch towards his face, denied and parried by his waiting hand. The two broke off and flew back a few metres.

"You're quicker than I thought you'd be," Chiri smiled. "Good, maybe you haven't gotten as clumsy as I thought you would have."

"Your strength is certainly a lot higher than it used to be, as is your speed," Gohan replied returning the compliment. "Too bad your swings are still clumsy. That growth spurt really has messed you up, Sis."

"Really, hitting below the belt? You're in trouble if you're already making fun of my height!" Chiri jeered spitefully. She was on the move again, Gohan barely blocking her incoming punch. Chiri launched out a barrage of attacks, noticing with each and every strike she made, she could see Gohan finding it harder to keep up. _'Push harder.'_ She consciously upped her game, drawing more of her energy out and increasing her speed and strength further, her aura dancing around her. Gohan retorted, his aura flashing around him as his speed and strength increased. He was matching her again, so Chiri upped her output further.

The two halted, fists inches from the other's face. Neither had their eyes on the other; both were looking to the west.

Something had erupted into life and it felt as if ice had encased Chiri's body, her teeth chattering.

Something had arrived.

"What is that?" Gohan mumbled under his breath. "Something's landed."

Chiri couldn't shake of the feeling that there was more to this than met the eye. "… It's not far from where Goten is, I can sense him flying towards it."

Gohan gulped. "Whatever it is, I don't want it finding him or Videl. We'd better take a look into this."

* * *

With each passing moment, Chiri found herself battling the voices in her mind telling her to turn back. She ignored them as best she could, keeping up with Gohan as they flew, headed for the mysterious energy emitting somewhere over their ever-changing horizon. Their little brother was there somewhere, no longer moving but still far too close to this energy for Chiri's liking. Further ahead, she could sense others approaching. She could sense Trunks' energy not too far from Goten's, apparently having decided to meet up mid-way from what Chiri could surmise. Piccolo was also on the move, much further away than anyone else. He would likely be the last to arrive.

"It's stopped moving," Gohan noted. The frown had stayed on his face since they'd left. Chiri hadn't seen him looking so constantly concerned since the fights of their youth when Cell and Bojack had been terrorising the planet. This did not bode well and only added to the voices telling her not to get involved. She knew what the atmosphere meant. The animals seemed to have sensed it too; they'd flown past several gigantic flocks of bird along the way; all headed in the opposite direction to them. She'd seen the shadows and colours of herds down below moving away.

They knew something was wrong. Chiri had come to realise through her life that the animals were far better at recognising life-threatening danger than people were. She knew what they were running from; she could sense the energy coming from the two living beings.

" _Gohan, Chiri? Are you there?"_

Gohan's frown momentarily shifted with surprise. "Piccolo?"

" _Good. I sense you both approaching this energy."_

"Yeah," Gohan replied. "I've never sensed anything quite like it."

" _No, neither have I, not since the fights of several years ago…"_ Piccolo responded. _"… The feel of it is somewhat familiar. If I'm not mistaken, the energy feels like a Saiyan's energy."_

Gohan's frown deepened. "… I was thinking the same thing. I didn't know there were any Saiyans left alive other than Vegeta…"

" _Be on your guard when you get there,"_ Piccolo ordered. _"We don't want anyone doing anything foolish until more of us have arrived."_

"Will do," Gohan nodded (not that Piccolo could see this, Chiri snorted.) "We'll see you when you arrive, Piccolo."

The line went quiet. After a moment, Chiri broke the silence. "Trunks has arrived…"

"I hope he doesn't find the owners of those ki signals," Gohan grimaced. "What a situation; two new energy levels show up and it's the kids and Videl who are caught too close for comfort."

Again the talk between them died down, it would be another ten minutes before they would arrive at their current speed. Chiri questioned whether it was worth turning into a Super Saiyan to cut down on their E.T.A. "Let's go faster," She suggested.

"Not a good idea," Gohan responded. "If these two are in fact Saiyans – and like the Saiyans that came to Earth when you were a baby – then they'll have technology to help detect life energy. No doubt if they do, they'd have already picked us up on their scouters. I don't want them getting a true measure of our abilities. They'll know we're heading in their direction anyway. Better the element of surprise…"

Chiri took his words in and had to agree with his decision. Fingers crossed things wouldn't go downhill too much before they arrived. Goten and Trunks wouldn't have a clue who they'd be messing with would they come across the mysterious energy signals. Videl would be the most clueless of them all. They really were the three worst people to have been in the same area as a new threat.

A flash shot across the sky. Within the same moment, the sky of the horizon turned green. Several seconds passed before Chiri felt the shockwave of the explosive power collide up against her, forcing herself to stay in control of her own movement. The wind violently picked up, buffering the two teenagers. Then came the thunderous roar, ratting her ribs. The ominous feeling had grown dramatically and now more than ever, Chiri wanted to turn. But now another voice – her older sister voice – was screaming because she had sensed Goten's life force take a severe knock.

Another flash, another fresh shockwave and another rumble, shaking the atmosphere and altering the lighting of the sky.

The two continued to make up ground, their defences well and truly up now that they had an idea of what they were dealing with. One of the ki signals felt far stronger than the other the more Chiri focused on it. Furthermore they seemed to be on the move, alongside Goten and Trunks. They had to be in the same location. Whatever had happened to Videl, Chiri couldn't be sure. Her life force would be overshadowed by those in her company, being so much weaker than theirs. The atmosphere felt clogged and charged, making it harder for her to merely sense what was going on using their fluctuating life force.

Goten had regained some kind of control, his energy spiking. Chiri recognised that familiar feel, sensing the Super Saiyan fleck in his ki. Trunks' ki felt similar, Chiri feeling that perhaps she shouldn't have felt as surprised as she did finding out he too could transform into the Super Saiyan. It seemed like something that was going to be taken for granted, remembering how much she, Gohan, her dad and Vegeta and the other Trunks had struggled to obtain that transformation.

"Nearly there!" Gohan hollered over the violent howl of the wind. He was right; Chiri could see the flashes of light ahead starting to take shape, momentarily altering the skies ahead. A flash shot across her vision, Chiri gasping when she realised what the small speck had been: her brother. Instinct screamed out and she found herself pushing harder, headed straight for where she'd seen him fall into the jagged mass of rock. They had flown further and further north and had come across a snow-topped mountain terrain. Amongst the mass jagged rock lay her brother and if his life force was anything to go by, he would not be in a good state.

"There!" Gohan made a violent turn towards the ground, headed straight for a couple of figures scattered upon a ridge. Chiri followed, feet slamming against solid rock within seconds, eyes set upon the tall, looming figure hunched over a shaken Trunks. The eight-year-old boy had been forced onto his knees, craning his head up towards the brute opposing him. His blue eyes quickly fell on the two new arrivals, a look of relief washing over his facial features.

The man standing between them had turned. Before he'd done so, Chiri had felt the pang of shock. A Super Saiyan stood between them and Trunks. _'Who is this man? I thought…. I thought we were the only Super Saiyans around…'_ She'd spotted the man's tell-tale sign of his Saiyan heritage sliding out from the red sash suspended upon his waist by a golden belt, flickering about like an agitated cat ready to pounce on prey.

Gohan's expression was reminiscent of their younger days. Chiri recognised that look as one that knew what they were in for. She too knew that it meant whatever was about to go down would be dramatic and have a lasting impact on the fate of the ground they stood upon. She felt something cold settling in her stomach and encapsulating the innards of her ribs.

There stood a second man. Shorter than the first, older and apparently not a Super Saiyan by initial appearance. He seemed agitated but in no position to intervene with whatever had gone on between the first man and the two children who'd been unfortunate enough to cross paths. Judging by his ki, he wasn't anywhere near as capable a fighter as the younger man, Chiri noted. His posture also suggested to her that he was in some kind of pain, whether it was a newly acquired injury or just the effects of aging, Chiri wasn't sure.

"Sorry it took us so long to get here, Trunks," Gohan apologised, breaking the tension and silence. "I never would have suspected that a Saiyan still resided out in space without Freeza or Cooler having known about them…"

' _I thought Vegeta had said he and Dad and two others were the only survivors,'_ Chiri was just as perplexed, though she'd never seen any Saiyans other than her father and Vegeta.

"Chiri, find Goten," Gohan ordered. "Take him and Trunks to the lookout to get checked out by Dende."

Chiri raised her eyebrows. "… You sure you wanna sort this out?"

"Go," Gohan responded. His sister inwardly shook her head; outwardly she moved her feet a few steps towards Trunks, stopping when the tall man stood between them stepped further between the child and herself.

"Back down," Gohan spoke. It wasn't a request; Chiri could feel the aggression laced in his voice. It didn't matter so much to her; if this man tried to get in her way, she'd push him aside herself. He wasn't the only Super Saiyan around here and she hadn't spent the majority of years of her life sitting back and letting time pass her by. She'd kept up her training much more than Gohan had and still felt she had a lot to prove to her late father and Gohan himself.

"B-Broly…" The older man's voice shook. "…Remember what we came here for…"

This seemed to agitate the taller man further. He began grunting, his ki spiking as his anger wormed its way out. Chiri felt the air around her skin grow cold, felt the ground under her feet buckle. The wind picked up as the taller man's energy began to rise. For some reason, the older man held out his hand towards his apparent partner. Chiri could see a strange device stuck to the man's outstretched palm, saw a blue jem settled in the middle begin to glow. It made the taller man howl louder.

"What's going on?" Gohan was baffled, making a couple of shuffled steps closer to his sister. "These two are pretty strange."

"I know," Chiri agreed quietly, eyes not leaving the taller man as he continued to scream and throw himself about, the other Saiyan looking desperate. _'Who are they and why are they on Earth? Why did they attack Goten and Trunks?'_

Trunks had started to slowly move across the ground, making his way slowly towards the two older hybrid fighters. With each movement he made, their hearts lurched in fear the taller man would strike him down. When he was within reach, Chiri snatched him from the ground and got him up onto his feet. "You alright?"

"Broly! Remember!" The other man was shouting over the Saiyan's hollers.

"They came at us from out of nowhere!" Trunks cried. "The tall dude attacked Goten first, he was screaming something weird at him, calling him something. We couldn't stop him. That girl tried to do something but she was pretty useless and got thrown out of the sky. Goten and I – we tried, we really did try but this guy is too strong!"

Gohan's face went pale. "… Videl."

Chiri was quick to respond. "I'll find her and take her to Dende with Goten." She glanced back at the screaming man again before turning to the lavender-haired child beside her. "Do you feel fit enough to fly?"

Trunks nodded.

Gohan took a step forward effectively shielding the two younger hybrids from the taller Saiyan. The ground had begun to tremble at their feet, the temperature dropping further. The other Saiyan was still shouting but his words didn't seem to reach the howling Saiyan. How had they gotten themselves wrapped up in this mess? Goten was somewhere injured, who knew what'd become of Videl. They were supposed to be training for a measly tournament but instead seemed to have found themselves up against Earth's next threat. Chiri kept a firm grip on Trunks' arm, dismayed at finding her body shaking as the two Saiyans continued to struggle, the taller's energy still rising higher and higher.

It stopped. The man's screams died down as a light emitted from his forehead. On closer inspection, he seemed to have some kind of head brace across his forehead, with a blue orb identical to that of the one on the other man's right palm. The three watched closely as the older Saiyan took a few unsteady steps towards the younger, still shouting for him to regain control and remember what they were there to do. Finally the Super Saiyan seemed to have cooled off, his hair reverting to a darker shade and falling from its transformed state to gravity-obeying locks running past his shoulders. He hunched over, still steady on his feet, silent and stoic.

"That was… interesting," Gohan mumbled quietly enough so that only Chiri and Trunks could hear him. "You two go now. I should be more than enough to handle these two."

Chiri's brows arched inward. "Are you sure? I don't trust these two… and the one on the right seems to have an insane power for just any regular Saiyan."

Her question went unanswered as a new ki was noticed. Gohan glanced over his shoulder and quietly sighed; Chiri was certain he was unsure whether to be relieved or concerned, just as she was. The speck on the horizon quickly grew brighter and bigger and within moments, the only full-blooded Saiyan left on Earth had landed.

"Dad!" Trunks gasped, suddenly looking very ruffled and agitated.

Again another energy appeared; Piccolo landed a few feet the other side of Chiri and Trunks. _'Great. The two most agitating, short-tempered ones of the group!'_ Chiri rolled her eyes and exhaled loudly. In any case, she had a job to do. "Trunks, we need to go now."

"B-But I-" Trunks stuttered.

"Go," Piccolo cut him off. "This is no place for a child, much less one with injuries."

So Trunks followed without protest. Chiri kept her eyes pinned down on the complex topography below, trying to spot any signs of her brother or of Videl. Mentally her focus was torn between her current task and what was going on behind them. Vegeta's appearance in front of the two Saiyans would have been an event Chiri would have wanted to have seen, having so many questions to ask herself. How would the two have responded to the Saiyan Prince's unexpected appearance? How would he have responded back to them? Then there was her brother and Piccolo; both had battled Saiyans in the past.

"There!" Trunks' shout caught her ear; sure enough she could see her brother curled up into a ball several feet below them, stuck on a ridge with little sign of movement. Sharply she turned, flew down and landed beside him, inches from where Trunks touched down. She was down on her knees kneeling over him, shaking him gently. Trunks was beside her, calling his friend's name. Chiri could feel herself growing hotter; her little brother was not responding and looked to be in a terrible state. His face and arms were marred with cuts and bruises; one shoulder had taken the brunt of a particularly nasty hit and was bleeding. Her voice trailed off, the shaking stopped. She reached out, pressing her index and middle fingers upon his throat.

He had a pulse.

That was good enough for her.

"We're going to find Videl and then we're going to the Lookout," She calmly instructed the blue-eyed boy beside her. "When we find Videl, you're going to need to carry Goten – he's lighter and should be easier considering your injuries. Can you do that?"

"Yeah," Trunks nodded, eyes still on his best friend.

"Right, then let's go," Chiri picked her brother off the ground, holding him in her arms. Her feet rose from the ground once more, focus now on finding Videl's life force. She dared not think of what her brother would do if she couldn't be found.

What the hell had they gotten themselves unwittingly into?


	6. AoT Chapter 06

**AN:** Happy New Year to you all (for future reference, it's now 2016). I aim to upload at least a chapter a month. If I end up going through a writing spree then it'll be more frequent. The seasonal depression has kicked in so it's hard to say how much of this I will be writing for the beginning third of the year. I'll do my best to keep you guys up-to-date and attended to.

-LilDBZBuddy89

* * *

 **Chapter 06 – The Condition**

Gohan kept one eye as his little sister and Trunks took to the skies. At least there were two less people to worry about, although to be fair there were two other people whose very existence had been threatened. If it turned out this taller, younger Saiyan was definitely the culprit, Gohan would be sure to make sure he would not be capable of carrying out such atrocities again. But for now, this was the time to assess their next move. He had two veteran fighters on his side, both well-seasoned and serious when it came to dealing with threats to the planet. Gohan wasn't sure whether Vegeta being present in front of two apparent Saiyans was a blessing or a problem.

The quieter, older Saiyan seemed to have taken an interest in Vegeta. Gohan guessed he must have recognised him since Vegeta had been born a prince. Yet it hadn't been long since his birth that their home planet was then destroyed by Freeza, so would this Saiyan have realised who Vegeta was?

"Saiyans," Piccolo muttered under his breath. "So there were more of them hiding away? Freeza was a little sloppy…"

"It's been a long time," Gohan nodded in agreement.

"Prince Vegeta," The older Saiyan spoke with a tone of seriousness to his voice, lowering his head in a bow. "You look just as your father did."

"Who are you?" Vegeta seemed indifferent to the man's gesture. "How did two Saiyans manage to stay hidden under the radar for so long without Freeza having been aware of it?"

"My apologies for not coming to your aid sooner but we were presumed dead before Freeza annihilated our planet." The Saiyan responded.

Gohan couldn't help but notice the taller of the Saiyans had become quiet ever since that strange light had come from the brace upon his head. His ki had been dampened severely too. He couldn't work out exactly how but he knew that whatever was on the older Saiyan's hand was clearly linked in some way to the brace on the younger one's head and that in all likelihood, it was some kind of ki suppressant or mind-controlling device.

"Prince Vegeta, I come to you with great news. Whilst travelling through the galaxy to find you, we have gathered a vast, strong army or warriors prepared to swear their allegiance to you," The older Saiyan explained. "They wish to follow the man who destroyed the tyrant who'd enslaved them and their planets. Prince Vegeta, with an army as vast and powerful as the soldiers I have recruited, we could rebuild our long-lost empire."

Vegeta snorted. "Like I care about that anymore. All I care about now is surpassing every other living creature and becoming the strongest fighter to have existed… Your so-called army is of no use or interest to me."

"I doubt any of the soldiers recruited would have pledged their allegiance willingly…" Piccolo mused quietly to himself. "They'd have been more concerned for their lives."

"You said it," Gohan nodded in agreement.

"Leave," Vegeta ordered. "Go back to whatever hovel you crawled out of." He turned away from them and began to wander away.

The older Saiyan frowned and rose from his bow. "… They grow restless to see you defeat the Legendary Super Saiyan."

That seemed to be the magic word from what Gohan could fathom as Vegeta had stopped dead in his tracks. After a moment the Saiyan turned. What sounded so interesting about a Legendary Super Saiyan, as the old Saiyan had put it? Gohan knew the Super Saiyan form had been passed down as a legend in Saiyan folklore but it seemed bizarre to call it as such. Was the old man referring to their regular form of Super Saiyan – the one his taller accomplice was capable of? If so then what was the problem? There were plenty of Super Saiyans amongst them so what made this particular Saiyan stand out from the crowd – but then again this seasoned Saiyan couldn't have known Vegeta and Gohan were Super Saiyans.

"He's been reawakened from legend, ravaging the galaxies and destroying countless planets and planetary systems," The older Saiyan continued. "Only Saiyan royalty such as yourself could possibly stand a chance against him and do what myself and my son failed to do."

* * *

It'd been a while since they'd located Goten and not long after, Videl had also been sighted. Chiri and Trunks took the two invalids to the base of Korin Tower to recover them with senzu beans. Chiri knew Korin and Yajirobe had been cultivating some and had recently had another yield. She only hoped they had at least two, unlike their previous crop yield which produced one tiny bean no bigger than a grain of rice. She was reluctant to bring Dende down to heal them because of Videl. The girl had only just been introduced to the fact flying was possible. Chiri didn't want to mess with her head further by introducing the idea of aliens existing and living among the general population. That could wait for when she met Piccolo… if such a thing would ever occur. Chiri hoped not but with the tournament coming…

"You took too long!" Trunks scowled as the teenager returned from her trek up and down the perilous tower.

"Korin wanted a chat," Chiri indignantly growled. "He says we shouldn't trust the two Saiyans who beat you guys up. Sounds pretty obvious to me but I thanked him anyway." She opened up her left hand. "Here, pass one to Goten and Videl."

Trunks pulled a face. "Eww."

"Oh fine," Chiri rolled her eyes, unimpressed with his immaturity. They only had to be slipped past their teeth so they could swallow it, what was so gross about that? Favouritism won over and Chiri passed Videl her senzu bean first, then Goten next. She made sure both beans slid down their throats, having squashed them before feeding them.

Annoyingly, Goten was the first to open his eyes. He greeted the two with a horrified yelp which stirred Videl from her nap. "What happened? Where's that man?" Goten gasped frantically. It took a moment for him to see Trunks looking pretty decent compared to the last time he opened his eyes, and his sister beside them, sitting on her legs. "… What happened?"

"That's my line," Chiri responded. "Don't worry, Trunks told us about it. Gohan and Vegeta and Piccolo are having words with the Super Saiyan now."

"Ooooh… He's in big trouble then if Trunks' dad and our big brother and Piccolo are with him," Goten calmed, glancing over towards the direction their ki could be felt from.

Videl stirred further and opened her eyes, holding her head… before her face dropped. ".. Wait… Whuh? How…?"

"Medicine," Chiri answered enjoying how bewildered and lost the older girl looked. She didn't want to say much more in regards to Saiyans in front of Videl.

"I wonder if the Super Saiyan guy will call them all strange names too…" Goten thought out loud. Apparently he had no qualms about revealing the existence of aliens to Videl but Chiri wasn't about to let him. The thump she gave him made the seven-year-old holler, latching hold of his head. "Why did you do that? I'm telling Mother when we get home!"

"What kind of medicine treats broken bones and internal injuries as fast as that?" Videl barked unimpressed. "What kind of fool do you take me for? What did you do? Tell me!"

"Wait, he called you a weird name?" Chiri repeated, eyes now on her little brother. A thought crossed her mind as she looked into his youthful face, eyes momentarily rising up to observe his hair. If the word spitting-image were to have pictures, it would feature a picture of their father and Goten next to one another in their family's version of the dictionary. "… Goten, what did he call you? Do you remember?"

"Um…" The little warrior glanced skywards. "… Something like Ka… Karka…"

"He started calling him a Kakarrot or something," Trunks butted in, matter-of-factly.

"It sounded yucky so I told him off," Goten pouted.

Chiri had gone a pale shade. Initially she'd frozen over. Then a small flicker of an ember began in the pit of her belly. Someone was once again looking for their father. Their late father. So even with him residing in the next life, shady fighters were still in search of him and hurting innocent people in the process.

"Hey!" Trunks gasped. "… Is that my dad? Why's he flying off with… oh, I get it."

Chiri latched her focus onto Vegeta's energy as clearly Trunks had picked up on something. Indeed Vegeta's life force was easy to detect. He was moving, flying most likely – but flying with the two mystery Saiyans, including the one who'd attacked the two boys and Videl. A puzzled look crossed her face.

"Dad must be taking them to another spot to fight with them," Trunks explained eagerly. "I wanna see him beat them up!" He rose to his feet.

"Nope!" Chiri snatched him by the scruff of his jacket and threw him down, Trunks bouncing on the ground with a thud. "Not a chance, you'd just become collateral damage."

"What are you talking about? Why would Trunks' dad be going to fight that… that…" Videl seemed lost for the right word. "What the hell is going on? How did that man's hair change colour like that? It's like he's one of those guys who fought Cell all those years ago!"

And there was her cue to end this conversation. Gohan was going to kill her for this. Chiri effortlessly rendered the teen unconscious with a small pinch of her posterior pressure points on her neck. Videl fell quiet and hit the ground, much to the horror of little Goten.

"Gohan's gonna be really mad you hurt his wife!" He exclaimed.

Chiri couldn't help but laugh at the comment. "Goten, she's not his wife. She's not even his… or at least I don't think she's his girlfriend…"

"Who cares?" Trunks raised an eyebrow. "She was being too loud anyway. Why do girls gotta scream all the time?"

"We should take her to the hospital," Goten frowned concerned. "Do you think she'll fit on Kinto'Un?"

"I doubt she's pure hearted enough to ride Kinto'Un – unless you plan to carry her all the way?" Chiri suggested. "Goten, I have a really, really special job for you. It's a really big grown-up job but I think you're ready to handle it."

"Oooh what? What is it?" Goten's eyes sparked, voice betraying his excitement. Chiri grinned inwardly, loving his weakness of wanting to be more adult-like and not be treated like the runt of the family he was.

"Take Videl back to our place and make sure Mum knows she's hurt," Chiri explained. "I would do it but I have other grown-up things to do. Trunks can help you too."

"Okay!" Goten grinned eager to go. Trunks seemed less enthusiastic. The two scrambled about themselves trying to pick Videl up off the ground without dropping her mid-flight. "We're ready for lift-off!"

"This isn't even a grown-up thing to do." Trunks muttered annoyed.

The two took to the skies, carrying their unconscious passenger along gently. Chiri watched them go and focused her attention back to Vegeta's energy. He was still in the presence of the other two Saiyans and far away from where Piccolo and Gohan's energies were. Something about this seemed off. Chiri's curiosity got the better of her; she had to see what Vegeta was up to.

Her focus should have been kept on the two boys. For they had little intention of being sent away. Their curiosity had been piqued and with a false nod and answer, they began to plot out of the watchful eye and ear of the teenager. Their path soon altered and the two ended up following Chiri. They weren't about to be caught either so they hid their ki signals as best they could, leaving Videl in a suitably safe place (in the middle of nowhere) before continuing their journey.

Gohan and Piccolo were also on the move. The two had also decided to pursue the two mystery Saiyans and their fickle prince.

Neither had expected Vegeta to have agreed to track down this apparent Legendary Super Saiyan and just head off with the other two Saiyans. Something seemed really bizarre about the whole situation but Gohan couldn't shake of his nervousness about the taller, younger Saiyan. His energy as a Super Saiyan had been alarming, something about it seemed off. Something made it seem even more aggressive than how his father's energy or Vegeta's energy had ever felt.

"Down there," Piccolo muttered, descending towards a small clearing housing a couple of craters. Within the two craters, Piccolo was not surprised to see two Saiyan pods reminiscent of the one Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa had likely used to travel to Earth all those years ago. These were not identical but were likely older models. How long had they been travelling in space for, undetected by Freeza and his army?

Vegeta stood with the two in conversation. Gohan imagined they'd be trying to sort out who used what pod. Two pods and three grown men didn't exactly scream out comfortable-travel to him. Landing softly on the grass, they were initially ignored by the three until they grew closer.

"You have no business here," Vegeta muttered agitated. "Leave. I don't need the help of a Namekian or a half-breed!"

"We're not here to offer you help!" Piccolo spat.

"We just don't think you have to travel into space to find the Super Saiyan you're searching for," Gohan was serious, eyes manoeuvring every-so-often to look at the other two Saiyans. "He's right here on Earth."

"Impossible," The older Saiyan spoke. "Vegeta, whilst it is true that you have reached great heights in being able to become a Super Saiyan, I fear this Legendary Super Saiyan does truly exist. He's far from this galaxy, destroying thousands of planets within mere seconds. Your band of Saiyan descendants here are impressive but they stand no chance against his power."

"You're wrong," Gohan retaliated. "Vegeta, don't listen to them. The Legendary Super Saiyan stands among us. I know because I sensed his energy before and I saw who that energy belonged to. Surely you must have picked it up when you sensed Goten being attacked? It's this one – Broly! He's the Legendary Super Saiyan!"

Vegeta scowled, nose crinkling. His eyes moved to the taller, younger Saiyan before returning back to his rival's son. "You're wrong."

"Of course he is," The older Saiyan took a few steps forward. "My son – whilst he is able to transform into a Super Saiyan somehow – is weak. In most situations he is meek and quiet. Only when he is pushed will he be able to transform. But he is not the Legendary Super Saiyan, just a regular Super Saiyan such as yourselves. He has fought and lost against the Legendary Super Saiyan – we barely escaped with our lives!"

"Liar," Gohan was persistent. "Vegeta, please. You have to listen. His Super Saiyan energy is different to how everyone else's feels. It's more aggressive and wild than how Father's felt – even how yours feels!"

"Enough!" Vegeta barked. "Idiot boy! His energy feels more aggressive and wild because his Saiyan spirit has not been diluted by the trivial weaknesses of this planet! I felt it – I am the most qualified out of this group to recognise the signature of the Legendary Super Saiyan's life force and it has not been detected on this planet! Not even when Broly came into contact with your half-breed brother!"

"Actually you may not be the most qualified one here," Piccolo cut in calmly. "You forget that I merged with Kami; when we merged, his ability to sense hidden depths in ki became one of my greatest assets. There is more to this Broly than his energy lets on – even as a Super Saiyan."

"That. Is. Enough." Vegeta wasn't listening. He turned away and started to wander down the edge of the nearest crater. "We're leaving. Broly, Paragus: you will travel together in the same pod. Set a course to the last area the Legendary Super Saiyan was known to have been."

Gohan had to act fast. "Broly! Admit it! You are the Legendary Super Saiyan!" He didn't know what else to do but he knew his gut instinct was right. He didn't know what Paragus – that'd been the name Vegeta had addressed the older Saiyan with – was up to and what he wanted with Vegeta but he knew he couldn't let this potential threat do any more damage to his friends or to the other planets of the galaxy. When their father had passed on, he'd passed the responsibility of protecting the planet and the peace of the universe to his children. Gohan knew he would come to regret not training more one day. However he also knew that even in his rusty state, he could take on Broly.

"Come," Paragus ushered his son down the other crater edge.

They had to do something fast!

"Piccolo, we're running out of time," Gohan groaned. "I don't know what else to do!"

The door to Vegeta's pod clamped shut.

Paragus and Broly reached their pod.

' _It's now or never!'_ Gohan held out one hand towards the second pod, gathering energy as fast as he could. With a roar he fired, energy blast striking the empty pod and destroying it with a terrific bang and a thick cloud of black, putrid smoke. The explosion shot out a squally gust of wind from the crater, which attempted to knock those standing off their feet. Unfortunately for the wind, those standing were well practised in withstanding shockwaves from explosions and so they remained upright and rode the gust's strength out until it died down once more. As the dust cleared, the two Saiyans were unscathed and still standing, although the pod behind them was reduced to rubble.

The click of the door's release put Gohan on guard but it was too little too late as Vegeta charged, landing a punch square in the teen's stomach. Gohan shot back several feet, Piccolo hot on his heels as the Namekian's arm extended, reaching Gohan's ankle and righting him. Gohan collapsed onto his knees, bent over in pain.

"You. Idiot." Vegeta seethed. "What a childish thing to do! I don't know why you are trying to sabotage this but I shall make this clear: if you interfere in my affairs about the Legendary Super Saiyan anymore, you will be joining your father. Now – stay out of my way!"

"Have you lost your mind?" Piccolo barked, standing between the two. "Vegeta, these two Saiyans attacked Trunks as well as Goten and yet you're willing to let that slide?"

"Paragus, Broly," Vegeta turned and addressed the two Saiyans. "This does not end our mission. Follow me and I shall get us a spaceship. The woman has gained a use to me once again."

This was bad. Gohan could feel his heart thumping over the horrid pain in his abdomen. If Bulma did have a spaceship ready and waiting for Vegeta to use then it was all over. There would be no way for him to out Broly as the Legendary Super Saiyan before it was too late!

"Ka…rot!"

The faint sound caught his ear. Piccolo was already looking in the same direction, likely having heard them before Gohan had registered the sound. In the distance, he could see a ki aura. Chiri.

"Kakarrot!" She was shouting, voice growing louder and louder all the time as she closed in on them, landing a few metres away. "Hey Broly! Kakarrot! Kakarrot! Kakarrrottt!"

Gohan was flummoxed. Why exactly was she shouting their father's Saiyan name at Broly?

"A childish trick," Paragus muttered. "Shouting the name of a Saiyan…" But on the inside he knew who that Saiyan was and it unnerved him. His son had gone berserk seeing the child that resembled that warrior who had tormented him in their youth – the only person who'd ever upset Broly. In the deep recesses of his memories, even he recalled just how loud that Saiyan infant's cries had been and that it'd made his own son distressed…

"Chiri, what are you doing here?" Gohan asked anxiously.

"Nevermind that, I'm busy!" Chiri protested. "Kakarrot! Kakarrot!"

"Look," Piccolo muttered quietly. "Look at his face, Gohan."

Gohan did as instructed and looked at Broly, gasping when he saw the expressions changing. His lip was quivering, his brow twitching as his face creased up at the centre. It was annoying him, pushing him, Gohan realised. He'd attacked Goten and now the name Kakarrot was causing him some internal grief from the looks of things.

What had his father done now?

Chiri was still shouting.

Broly roared, ki beginning to shudder.

"No, Broly!" Paragus shouted.

His son charged the young teenager.


	7. AoT Chapter 07

**Chapter 07 – Legend among Legends**

Chiri had expected him to go berserk. He'd charged Goten as soon as he'd set eyes upon him from what she'd understood. The child was the spitting image of their late father. Something had happened between their father and this man and Chiri had now found herself the next target. She thought he'd be fast. She hadn't expected him to be as fast as he was and barely dodged the thick-fisted punch Broly threw out, parrying and turning to the right. The shockwave through her hand alarmed her and she ducked under his foot, feet tapping the ground and springing her towards her brother. "He called Goten Kakarrot! He thinks he's our dad!"

"That's all I needed to know," Gohan focused his energy, launching forward and passing Chiri, meeting Broly fist-to-fist. The clash threw a shockwave across the battlefield, knocking Paragus clean off his feet. Chiri flipped head-over-heels and leapt after her brother. A shadow passed her, she didn't have enough time to think and react before Vegeta sent her scraping across the dirt, Chiri tumbling several times before slowing enough to make herself stop.

Broly had transformed into a Super Saiyan and had thrown Gohan to the side. His eyes set on the incoming Saiyan who immediately stopped before him. "Enough!" He snapped irate, barely over half the size of the taller Super Saiyan. "Don't waste your time with these morons!"

But it didn't seem Vegeta's words had reached Broly as he launched himself once again, power spiking further. As he passed, Vegeta caught hold of the warrior's ankle stopping him dead in his tracks. Broly seemed unfazed, croaking out in a trance: "Kakarrot… Kakarrot!"

"He's dead!" Gohan yelled, getting up from where he'd landed. "My father is gone."

"Gohan!" Chiri hissed, reaching his side after a quick run. "Don't tell him that – it'll stop him from becoming the madman who beat up on Goten, Trunks and Videl! How else are we gonna prove he's the one unless we annoy him?"

She had a point, although Gohan didn't feel comfortable about making him any madder than he seemed to be right now; he'd only been provoked with a name and yet he was already off the rails and out of Paragus' control. The device on his head hadn't flashed at all. Gohan took a quick glance over and noticed the older Saiyan was still down on the ground. Compared to his associate, Paragus wasn't much to write home about.

"Kakarrot!" Broly hollered shrilly, snatching himself clean of Vegeta's grip – had the prince faltered? Chiri sensed the flicker in Broly's power as he freed himself, noticed the change in Vegeta's facial expression before he became obscured by the incoming Super Saiyan.

A beam struck Broly clean in the side, engulfing him in a thick plume of smoke and shaking the atmosphere. From the left, Piccolo had fired off a Makankosappo, catching the Saiyan by surprise. Broly shot to the left, skidding hard on the ground with a boot and hand for support. His attention briefly turned to the Namekian, who was charging towards the bulkier fighter. Piccolo's fist connected with his chest; several kicks to the torso and neck struck their target, followed by a final swinging punch to the face, landing dead between Broly's eyes. Yet within that moment, Broly had remained unfazed and even had the opportunity to snatch hold of Piccolo's outstretched arm, fingers tightening. With a terrifying lurch back, he ripped Piccolo's arm clean off, blood spurting out in large clumps from the screaming Namekian, who fell to his knees. Within a flash, Broly's boot had slammed hard against his skull, setting off a horrific crunching sound.

"Piccolo!" Gohan hollered, grabbing hold of Broly by the back of his neck, planting a well-placed knee into the front of the brute's face. The force was enough to dislodge his centre of gravity, causing Broly to stumble. Before he could regain his balance, Gohan had attacked with another kick, this time to the chest. Several more shots were fired from a distance as Gohan leapt back; Chiri launching her barrage of ki attacks at rapid pace. Each attack erupted on impact, smothering the Super Saiyan in a thick cloud of smoke and dust. Chiri continued to fire her attacks as Gohan prepared his own, joining his younger sibling in the assault and causing the smoke plume to grow rapidly in size as the ground trembled loudly.

Piccolo had risen to a kneeling position, clutching his head with his remaining hand. With concentration and a howl, the bloody mass of tissue and muscle where his right arm had stemmed from suddenly thrust out a new one, green liquid splattering lazily across the ground. With his new hand in place, Piccolo now placed his attention to the life force of the monster within the smoke, scavenging for any signs of detection. A snarl crossed his face, detecting life within. Extending both arms, he too began to fire off attacks into the smog, making it even bigger than before and causing the ground to shudder more violently.

Finally, they stopped. Words went unsaid but the general consensus was that their combined attacks ought to have been sufficient.

Something seemed off.

As the smoke cleared back to reveal a large green orb, Chiri's heart sank. Inside the orb, Broly was untouched by their heavy assault. The green orb flickered and vanished the second his energy fluctuated once more. Within that moment, a shiver engulfed her entire body; something primal was triggered within her and it made her want to run from this man, to hide away and not come across him for as long as the two of them lived. Chiri gulped down hard and overrode the desire but couldn't help notice Vegeta's ashen face and wide eyes as the taller Saiyan's ki burst free. His body suddenly swelled, muscle mass expanding within the blink of an eye, his ki signal practically tripling in that instant.

What the hell were they up against?

Piccolo was the first to go. He was also the first to be floored by the new, bulkier Broly who simply snatched him by the face and pile-drove him into the ground with an almighty thud.

She had to intervene. Chiri launched herself off the ground, unable to land a hit in before Broly sent her soaring across the sky, pain searing her left cheek before striking her torso and limbs; the ground and her colliding. Twisting head over heels a couple of times before regaining her control, Chiri forced herself to stop with her hands, scraping the top layer of skin off in the process. With a little shake of her wrists, she glanced back over to see her older brother on the attack, having transformed into a Super Saiyan. She nodded, knowing that in her current state, all she'd do would be thrown back like a frisbee. Taking his lead, she concentrated her energy and tugged on the innards of her body, bringing out the familiar feel of that transformation and letting it take over her, hair turning blonde and eyes shimmering a teal-green. Her golden aura was just a mass of colour as it danced around her, trailing behind as she threw herself towards the battle, swooping over her brother's kick and throwing her own limbs out. Both siblings were striking Broly but none of their hits seemed to have an effect on him.

"It's not working!" Chiri shouted.

"Got any other ideas?" Gohan retorted loudly amongst the cracks and clashes of bone on bone.

' _What the hell is this guy? How can there be so much of a gap between our transformations?'_ Chiri didn't get it and once more that little part of her was telling her to run. A strike from Gohan threw Broly a few paces back, Gohan following whilst Chiri hung back. She figured if anyone would have answers, it'd either be the other mystery Saiyan who'd come with Broly, or perhaps Vegeta would know. Still the Prince looked nervous, albeit he'd gained some composure since the last time Chiri'd paid any attention to him.

Perhaps the legendary part had something to do with it.

Gohan surprisingly seemed to be holding his own. So she left him to it, hoping that nothing drastic would happen to him while she interrogated whoever could give her answers. Best to start with someone she was more certain was in the know and less likely to kill her. Chiri flew rapidly past her comrades and within moments, stood face-to-face with the older Saiyan. He immediately put up his guard, although his shaking limbs either suggested cowardice or that he was cold. (She highly doubted he was doing what her dad used to do and was actually shaking with excitement.) "Why aren't our Super Saiyan forms making a difference? What can you tell me?"

She wasn't entirely expecting the enemy Saiyan to humour her or even co-operate. Surprisingly he chose to answer her question, albeit indirectly. "Have you not noticed the state my son's form has put the once powerful Prince of the Saiyans in? Any pure-blooded Saiyan would be able to detect the bloodlust in Broly's power now."

"That doesn't really answer my question," Chiri frowned. Again that little voice inside her told her to increase the distance but she stamped it down. "What's so special about this Legendary Super Saiyan thing? Why does he look different to our Super Saiyan transformation?"

"Simply because your Super Saiyan forms are sub-par, inferior, the second choice when compared to the Legendary Super Saiyan," Paragus responded wearily.

"Damn it… I thought they were just stories," Vegeta's voice carried over to them. Chiri glared once more at Paragus, deciding she was unlikely to get any decent information out of him. So, cautiously, she made her way over towards Vegeta, one eye on the fight at hand. Still Gohan was finding it difficult to overpower Broly but Chiri didn't know how much of that was to do with his lack of serious training through the recent years. She approached Vegeta, who was tentatively watching the battle too.

"What stories?" She asked.

Vegeta did not respond immediately. "… The last Legendary Super Saiyan appeared over a thousand years ago… Damn it, he'll kill us all!"

This was getting her nowhere but that last sentence was jarring. She'd never heard Vegeta mention anything like this before, conceding that they were outmatched. Her eyes turned back up to the battle, brows furrowing as she watched. "… He feels as strong as Cell did… maybe a little weaker, actually." It was hard to tell with his energy fluctuating the way it did.

"You're wrong," Vegeta snarled. "His energy isn't at its peak yet… Damn it!"

Chiri frowned, agitated and antsy to do something other than stand around not getting clear answers. If all these two were going to do was fob off answers then she may as well be up in the sky, helping her brother fight this monster. She could see a few differences starting to emerge; Gohan was tiring but the Legendary Super Saiyan seemed unfazed – but then again, he hadn't gone on the attack at all. A horrifying thought crossed her mind. "Gohan – he's waiting to tire you out!" Not wanting to waste another second, she pushed herself from the ground, darting towards the two males. Within seconds she was once more in the thick of things, throwing out punches and kicks and giving Gohan time to take a quick breather, of which he obliged. Her punches and kicks were spot-on but as had been made painfully clear, their effectiveness was minimal. Did the form buff up his defences or something? Whatever it was, they were in a bind and had to come up with a new strategy – and fast. Super Saiyan felt practically useless!

A thought crossed her mind.

The thought cost her dearly. Broly snatched her by the ankle and threw his heavy fist clean into her stomach, Chiri gagging on the spit forced up. His elbow smacked her straight in between the eyes before she was dragged down, Broly launching her towards the ground with a horrifying, powerful swing. Chiri screamed, unable to stop herself from colliding hard with the rock below, buried under the solid mass and entering a world of dark.

It took a moment for the pain to register and she did not care much for it. Chiri wasn't entirely sure how far down she was but she could feel various parts of her body screaming at her. Fortunately nothing felt broken… or at least it didn't right now. She could clench the muscles in her limbs so that was a start. But could she move them? Barely? Chances were, she'd dislodged a lot of rock and had then had it topple on top of her, now pinning her down. In any case, she wouldn't have much oxygen down here for long.

Damn her thoughts being so distracting, she told herself. But right now, that thought sounded like the best possible solution to their problems. She only hoped it would work. It would require deception and it would require her to endure a lot of pain but she figured it was worth it.

With determination goading her on, Chiri focused her power as best she could under the circumstances, forcing her energy out against her constraints. She felt the judder around her and continued to force her energy out, pushing harder and harder against what was above her. When she had enough wriggle-room, she clenched as hard as she could and with a muffled cry, expelled her power in one fell swoop. The kiai slammed hard against the rock, breaking through and shattering it into millions of pieces, allowing her to be blinded by the daylight. She threw herself skybound once more, rising above ground-level and spying the two fighters up ahead.

"Ka…" She drew back her hands, heart thumping in her ribs hoping that the move she was about to perform did not hit her brother! "Me… Ha… Me…!" Cupped hands honed the energy into a mass of light blue, combining and mixing together and growing higher and higher in density. Eyes pinned on the back of the bulky Legendary Super Saiyan, Chiri fired: "HAA!"

The Kamehameha burst free from her palms, shooting with terrifying speed towards its target, filling the sky with a bright cyan, the shadows lengthening below across the ground. Gohan reacted, as did Broly but Chiri was unable to see what was about to happen. But she sure felt it as a pang struck her wrists, almost as if she'd been playing drums with sticks. She knew the feel of an object in hand being hit by something else and it was no different with her ki attacks. The Kamehameha was now heading straight for her! Instinct kicked in and she darted to the right, dodging her own attack with ease.

Her guard was not down and she was ready for him as he closed in, Gohan inches behind him. She ducked under his fist but was not quick enough to dodge the boot, connecting her stomach with said boot was not a moment she enjoyed; if anything it felt as if it'd dislodged her breakfast. She felt herself gently falling down towards the soil, stomach burning and eyes prickled with red spots. Damn it that'd hurt! Before she knew it, her feet had touched the ground, as had her knees. Struggling to catch her breath back, her eyes drifted back towards the other two Saiyans, neither of whom seemed interested in taking part. Piccolo still lay face-down in the dirt looking as if he'd seen better days.

Broly's power spiked further. Chiri's head snapped up to see a blast heading straight for her! _'Pay attention to the fight!'_ The ground ripped from under her feet as the attack exploded, throwing her violently across the ground, the gift of hearing torn away from her by the deafening eruption. She backflipped and slammed hard against more solid ground, eyes pinned on the Legend who was heading straight for her. Where had Gohan gone?

No matter, she thought. _'Time to put this plan into action!'_ All she had to do was endure for as long as it took.

Broly's hand clasped her around the throat, Chiri realising how big they were in comparison to her frame. It was nice to feel smaller than she actually was, even if it was for a tiny moment. That moment was instantly quashed as his grip around her neck tightened, Chiri grasping as he cut off her lungs from the orifices of her face.

In the corner of her eye, Chiri could see Gohan rising off the ground. Since when had he been there? No matter, with any luck, seeing her in this position would trigger off a sibling response. Then Broly would be sorry. But for now, she had to focus. Focusing was getting much harder with an increasing lack of sufficient oxygen supplying her aching body. Chiri pulled one leg back and went to strike, Broly caught her knee with his other hand, increasing his grip on her limb. Chiri would have cried out with pain if she could but she was now in serious need of getting her lungs to work.

Broly's grip suddenly loosened, Chiri was surprised to find herself dropping to the ground. The red spots of her vision receded and revealed Gohan to now be in much closer proximity to the two of them. Only he was now in a tight squeeze – literally. Broly's arms were tight around his abdomen and arms, crushing his upper limbs into his torso. Her brother cried out in agony, triggering a frustration within her which was only goaded on by the delighted chuckle and sinister grin Broly responded with, gleefully squeezing the life out of her brother. But she stayed down, resisting her own instincts. It hadn't worked before but that didn't mean it couldn't set him off now. _'Come on, Gohan. Come on!'_ But he was not doing what she hoped he would and time was quickly passing by. His life force began to shift, sending alarm signals off in Chiri's mind.

A shot struck Broly in the back, causing him to release his grip on the teenager.

To her horror, Gohan collapsed; the moment seemed to have played in half-speed for Chiri because it seemed to take him forever to hit the ground. She couldn't believe it! "G-Gohan!"

"Die!" Broly roared, throwing his fist down towards her, apparently assuming it was her who'd fired the attack.

Chiri barely dodged the strike, rolling across the floor several times before getting to her feet, dodging another incoming fist. _'To hell with getting beaten down!'_ He was supposed to have stayed conscious! Gohan wasn't supposed to have been knocked aside so easily! _'If anything, I'm lucky I didn't take too many hits otherwise this would now be an awful situation – not that it isn't! Damn it, Gohan! Why'd you have to go and leave it all up to me?'_

Broly's speed had increased, he seemed eager to actually hit the nimble teen. Chiri dodged by the skin of her teeth, determined not to find herself in the same state as her brother. If he couldn't do it then it'd have to be her.

It would be nice to test it out on someone who she could go all out with.


	8. AoT Chapter 08

**Chapter 08 – The Legend vs. The Prince**

Out of the corner of her eye, she'd spotted another fighter had joined the mix: Krillin was rushing over to where her unconscious brother lay. At least she wouldn't have to worry about him being completely helpless and in harm's way.

Broly was still determined to strike her down, it was getting harder and harder to dodge and parry his attacks with the toll it took on her stamina. Chiri flinched as her stomach gave another jolt; a shockwave from a previous attack had apparently hit and unsettled it once more. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her but had more pressing matters to attend to, namely blocking the gigantic hand attempting to rip her off the ground by her hair! She had to act fast before he gained too much of the upper hand over her but with his current speed, it was going to be difficult to find an opportunity to do what she had to do.

Taking a tall jump back, Chiri was aiming to lengthen the distance between the two of them. Of course, Broly followed in hot pursuit, now he had her on the run. Another jump back did not increase the gap and if anything, Broly sped up, fingers inches from her wrist-

A green hand shot between the two of them. It snatched hold of Broly's outstretched hand and yanked him away; Piccolo's other hand was pelting straight for the bulky fighter's face, slamming him clean between the eyes. The shot forced the Legendary Super Saiyan to lean back but was unable to floor him; the fighter had immediately regained his control and had turned, attention focused purely on the younger Super Saiyan. Chiri's heart lurched into her throat as his blank eyes settled on her, sensing Piccolo's movement as the Namekian moved to intervene. Broly charged at her with terrifying speed; there was no way Piccolo could outrun him. So she launched herself towards Broly, hoping she could time herself right. There! She threw herself violently to the left, swerving around the giant Saiyan and past him, now heading on a collision course with the Namekian, aiming to pass him and put him between her and the Saiyan-

Broly caught her by the ankle; Chiri lurched backwards, again feeling that wave in her stomach. The world blurred as he began to spin her above his head like a lasso, ready for Piccolo's incoming attack and launching an energy attack point blank into the Namekian's face. Piccolo hollered out an agonising scream as he shot back, crashing into a nearby bluff and altering the local landscape. Chiri's head was unsurprisingly spinning as the movement continued, unable to tell what direction was up until she was slammed face-first down into the ground, several cracks breaking the neat clean sheet of grit and dirt below. A boot to the spine forced her body to jerk involuntarily, the air forced out of her lungs with a bizarre squeak. She lay in agony, body burning with adrenaline while her pain receptors went into overdrive. Once again that little voice in her head telling her to escape was lecturing her and now she felt she understood why. His speed was unlike anything of any of their Super Saiyan transformations and he clearly had much more a power boost to his version. In a way his form was the ultimate, the crème de la crème of the Super Saiyan listings.

No wonder Vegeta had remained so reluctant (for once) to join the fight. What was he even doing now, anyway? Was he just going to stay passive and watch this brute kill her? He did have a dislike of her father but surely he wasn't so pathetic as to let her die, just because of who her father was? He was the only other Super Saiyan on their side who remained conscious and capable of doing something. Growing increasingly agitated, Chiri moved her head to the right, spotting him off some distance away, still standing and watching. What the hell was he doing?

Broly's boot slammed into her back again, Chiri howling out a cry of pain. Piccolo was out again from the looks of things. He hadn't come charging back in to intervene. Her brother was apparently still indisposed and it was unreasonable to expect Krillin to attempt to intervene with how outclassed he was compared to everyone else here (apart from Paragus – maybe he could take Paragus?) So why was Vegeta still standing there like a statue? She could rip him a new one with all the unnecessary suffering she was going through. If only she had some way of telling him her plan so he could distract Broly long enough.

Her scalp was on fire. Large fingers had grasped against her hair and had pulled her up off the ground, Chiri hissing involuntarily. She was held at an arm's length, defiantly keeping her eyes closed. She didn't want to see the ugly expression on his face or show any other sign of pain; she believed the eyes were the gateways to the inner self and she refused to allow Broly the privilege of seeing her inner feelings. Even when he delivered a fist to her stomach and once more pushed the air from her lungs, she kept her eyes clamped firmly shut. Several more punches struck the same spot, Chiri tensing and retching several times, finally bringing something up and out, vomiting on the ground below. Still Broly delivered more punches, the pain and ache of her stomach and ribs growing more and more severe to the point where her vision was starting to fade. If Vegeta was going to intervene, now would have been the perfect time.

She dropped. Someone had struck Broly and had forced her from his grip. Was it Vegeta? He had good timing, she barely registered her acknowledgement. Chiri did not hit the ground, rather, she was caught in what felt like warm, sturdy arms, held close to whoever had caught her. She could hear their heart thumping loudly in their chest, finding the sound oddly peaceful. As her vision and senses returned, she finally allowed her eyes to open and with great relief, let out a huge sigh. "'Bout time."

The look in her brother's eyes was serious, more serious than anything she'd seen in a long time. Not only did he mean business, he also meant to cause harm. Furthermore, the static in his aura was making her hair stand on end and itch at her forehead, irritating her further. Within a flash, they were several hundred metres from the Super Saiyan, Gohan having teleported them.

"A-Are you alright?" Krillin was beside them, looking awestruck. Gohan settled Chiri down upon the ground, Chiri sitting up immediately but not forcing herself to do anything more demanding. Her stomach was very tender and was trying to convince her that there was more that needed to leave her system. She gulped down and told herself mentally that nothing more was going to leave the wrong end.

"I'm ok," She mumbled glumly.

"Krillin, do you have any more senzu beans?" Gohan asked calmly.

Krillin dug into his shirt and pulled out the familiar pouch. "… Only one more I'm afraid."

"Pass it to Chiri," Gohan instructed, much to their worry.

"Are you sure we can't put this to better use?" Chiri asked, a part of her wondering why she was refusing to end the pain she was in. "What if you need it?"

Her older brother gave a small smile, "I'll be ok."

"If you're thinking of taking on Broly, you might have to wait a minute," Krillin interrupted, pointing over in the brute's direction. "Looks like a certain someone's done waiting!"

It was true; Vegeta had gone most of the journey towards Broly, his Super Saiyan aura flickering around his body defiantly, bright and powerful. How that power-up had gone undetected by any of them was beyond Chiri but she was curious as to how well he'd fare against Broly. He'd done little other than train for the past seven years so perhaps he would surprise them all. But then again, she still had a few surprises up her sleeve.

"What about Piccolo?" Krillin asked. "We have two of you still in need of care – I'll have to split this bean between the two of you."

"That'll have to do," Gohan nodded in agreement. "As long as we have everyone at our best. I'm not sure how this is going to turn out but I have a bad feeling."

Krillin snorted and quietly muttered, "of course you do; it's Vegeta we're talking about."

The guy did have an unfortunate trail of losses recently when it came to powerful opponents, only to come back at a later stage and dominate them. It was hard to tell whether this would be a nineteen-moment or a perfect-Cell moment; would he dominate or would be make a big mistake that'd cost him the battle.

"Has the prince come to die?" Broly asked, a maniacal grin plastered across his tiny face, seemingly shrunken further when compared to how much muscle mass he'd acquired.

"No, he's come to kill," Vegeta jeered back, stopping and standing inches from his foe, dwarfed by his opponent's height. "You won't be killed by some commoner's half-breed son or daughter, nor will you be slain by a Namekian warrior. It'd take more than that to bring a monster such as the Legendary Super Saiyan down. Unfortunately for you, it turns out that it'll take someone like me."

Broly chuckled at this remark. "I see. The great prince sounds as foolish as his father."

From the corner of her eye, Chiri spotted Paragus cautiously making his way closer. Immediately she was on-guard, still chewing the half-of-a-bean Krillin had passed to her. "Watch it."

"Broly will have no recollection of what the King tried to do to him but he has heeded my warnings…" The aging Saiyan muttered. "Finally we will have our revenge on the Saiyan royal bloodline."

Revenge or not, it wasn't going to happen, Chiri was sure of it. If Vegeta fell than one of them would naturally step in to put a stop to him.

It was on, a shockwave from the two Saiyan's fists meeting sent Paragus flying backwards, Chiri grasping onto the rocky surface below. She hadn't expected that to be as powerful as it had been! Suddenly the two had taken to the skies, locked in a fierce hand-to-hand session and again with each connection they made, the ground shuddered. Vegeta was on the attack, Broly seemingly either checking him out or in more serious trouble than he'd realised. It wasn't too difficult to keep up with them although Chiri was still surprised by how fast the Legendary Super Saiyan could move with all that bulk. Perhaps observing and seeing him battle Vegeta would alert them to a weakness of some kind.

"What's he doing? He can't win at that level!" Krillin gawked. "Vegeta's gonna have to work much harder than that!"

"He's not being serious!" Piccolo's barking voice startled the others, Chiri having forgotten that Krillin had just revived him. "He'll be testing Broly's power out before he grows serious – just like Goku would be if he was here."

Gohan frowned. "… Surely he'd want to be going all-out right now. This is a dangerous opponent"

"Gohan's right," Krillin agreed, sounding just as concerned. "Vegeta ought to be giving this everything he has, not treating this like some game to win! This is our planet we're talking about!"

Piccolo said nothing to this but Chiri had the feeling she knew what he was thinking. It angered her as much as it did Gohan and Krillin; he was a Saiyan so he was going to try and enjoy this fight. Broly was probably doing the same thing as well.

High in the air they continued, Vegeta still on the attack with Broly dodging or parrying his every move. It was clear that Vegeta had vastly improved but would his stamina hold out against Broly? Chiri couldn't tell but she did know that right now, Vegeta's energy felt on par with that of her brother's… and a voice inside her – her gut, perhaps – was telling her that he was probably conserving his strength.

Suddenly Broly lunged forward, driving a fist clean into the Saiyan's stomach, a kick ploughing into his ribs before the other swiped him clean around the head. Vegeta tumbled rapidly, suddenly metres from the group of spectators - a controlled halt from him spared him the embarrassment of colliding into them like a bowling ball into skittles. Immediately after regaining control, he was back on the attack, his life force burning brighter as he delivered a powerful punch to the Legend's abdomen.

Chiri felt the shockwave even with the distance between them. It made her realise just how much she was shaking. But she wasn't scared, was she?

No one had noticed the two younger Saiyans had made it back to the battle zone, peering cautiously from behind an outcrop watching in awe. It was taking all of Trunks' concentration not to shout out and cheer his father on.

Another blow to the stomach sent Broly back through the air, Vegeta hot on his heels. His fists slammed clean into the taller warrior's face, his bulk barely able to move from the force created before Vegeta's foot booted him higher into the sky, the prince chasing after his prey. Several punches made contact with Broly's spine, each pushing him further and further out of view.

"He's completely dominating him," Gohan didn't sound too pleased, despite the turn of events in their favour.

"It's too soon to say whether or not either of them are being serious," Piccolo was thinking along the same tracks as his former pupil. "Stay on your guard, the pair of you. We might still be needed."

Vegeta slammed his fists into Broly's body, the large bulk shooting dangerously quickly towards the ground, slamming hard and dislodging several large chunks of rock, vanishing amongst a choke-inducing dust cloud. The smog slowly deteriorated, Broly face-down upon the ground in a heap; the sight startled the spectators who were left agasp as Vegeta landed inches away. His right arm moved, palm facing towards his fallen opponent, eyes glued to the spot. Slowly Broly shifted and got to his knees, glancing over his shoulder to see Vegeta holding his hand out, ready to fire at any given moment. Broly only had time to grunt an animalistic roar before Vegeta's palm released his energy, the ball of light shooting and striking within an instant.

"Down!" Piccolo hollered; in the same moment, the group were all thrown from their feet, hard onto the ground as it suddenly shook violently, cracking under the pressure. The area lit up with a blinding flash, the roar from the explosion momentarily knocking Chiri's sense of hearing out of action. She took a moment before she worked out where she was, face-down and hugging the ground tightly. The ground below her was slowly ceasing its shuddering, the shockwaves of the attack still pulsating through it. Shakily she got to her knees, sitting cautiously trying to get her sense of balance calm again.

There was a large indentation where Vegeta and Broly had been mere seconds ago, she had no idea where either of them were. Both their life forces were detectable, so clearly they were still alive.

"Everyone ok?" Gohan's voice called out; he was rising to his feet, holding his head.

"Yeah," She answered, still slightly shaken. "What the hell was he thinking, firing that so close to the ground?" Her voice seemed to have found that flame associated with her anger.

"That's Vegeta for you," Gohan still looked worried. "… I can still sense him and Broly. What happened? Did he miss?"

"No," Piccolo shook his head. "He hit him point-blank."

Indeed it seemed that Broly had been struck. That much was confirmed when he emerged walking up the side of the fresh crater, looking more-or-less untouched. It confused Chiri immensely; how had he gotten off so lightly from an attack like that? Vegeta'd barely held back enough not to blow up the planet!

The prince had apparently taken to the sky and was watching down, looking a little stunned to see Broly looking so well. Within the moment, his expression had changed back to his usual air of confidence. "As expected of someone of your apparent title… No matter, I'm just getting warmed up."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Krillin grumbled looking worried.

Vegeta charged. Broly merely smiled and extended his own arm, firing off a large green energy ball towards his incoming opponent. Vegeta halted, readied himself and threw his hands forward, the ball slamming straight into him. It forced him back a few metres before he began to match it, struggling against the powerful attack. With a roar, Vegeta chucked the blast over his head, sending it out of harm's way, dodging the surprise attack he'd anticipated coming from his foe, launching his own attack. Broly countered, the two once again locked in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

"Have you noticed it?" Piccolo asked.

"Yeah," Chiri nodded anxiously. "His energy is still rising."

"But so is Vegeta's," Gohan pointed out.

Vegeta dodged another powerful shot, having his own attack deflected and parrying an elbow inches from his head. The two sprung back, Vegeta once more charging at the bulkier Saiyan. This time Broly grabbed hold of his fist, slamming a knee into the Prince's stomach. Vegeta was pulled back in again, once more Broly's knee digging deep into his abdomen, bouncing off it again. The third, Vegeta raised a knee, stopping himself from being struck down again. His free hand fired an energy shot striking Broly clean in the cheek. He didn't budge, just looked as if he'd had a small pebble chucked at him. Vegeta sent out another shot, then another. Broly's upper torso and head were quickly engulfed by dust and smoke as the Prince continued to fire attacks, waiting for the moment when the grip of his hand would be loose enough for him to break free.

"He's losing stamina with every attack," Piccolo frowned. "If Vegeta can't free himself quickly then he's going to find himself in a difficult situation."

"Well then, why don't we step in?" Gohan readied himself. "If Vegeta needs help then why are we standing around here waiting for him to not ask? He'd never do that in a million years."

But no one did move, not even Gohan. They all knew what would happen if they rushed in.

Vegeta shot back suddenly, having freed himself or been pushed back was unknown. Nevertheless he continued to dominate Broly with a barrage of rapid fire energy blasts, the Legendary Super Saiyan now completely engulfed in an ever expanding plume of smoke.

Finally Vegeta stopped, his shoulders moving up and down as if he were struggling for breath. The dust quickly subsided, revealing his target was still alive and well, merely coated in specks of dust. On closer inspection, Chiri could see the bruises and cuts barely visible on his massive bulk, worried by how little damage he'd taken. Her eyes drifted across the sky to observe Vegeta again, noting how tired he appeared.

"He's worn down," Krillin clenched his fists together. "If Broly decides to attack now, Vegeta's gonna find it difficult to defend himself."

"Now, Broly!" Came Paragus' surprise holler, a look of delight spreading across his face. "Attack!"


	9. AoT Chapter 09

**Chapter 09 – Last Ounce of Strength**

"Attack, Broly!" Paragus' goading had made the others jump from surprise, all having forgotten he was still around. Yet he may as well have been trying to encourage a goat because Broly did not move, nor did he appear to be paying him any attention. Instead his focus remained on the huffing Saiyan half his size, trying to gain his breath back. His eyes then came down towards the group and his father, a hand extending out.

Chiri launched herself from the ground as the green orb shot towards them, shredding the ground that had seconds before been under her feet. The explosion was deafening, shaking the ground violently and pulsing out strong gusts of wind through the atmosphere. Chiri defended herself from the main bulk with her arms, shielding her face from the loose fragments stinging at her bones. As quickly as it'd appeared, it'd died down again.

"Broly!" Paragus' voice could be heard shouting from some distance away. His left arm hung unnaturally by his side, his face coated in what seemed to be his own blood.

But again the Legendary Super Saiyan ignored his father, instead focusing back on the Prince of his race. He charged, snatching Vegeta in a rush and dragging him through the skies, heading down towards the ground at incredible speed. Vegeta didn't seem able to break free from his grasp this time, unable to stop himself from being thrown head-first into the solid ground below, buckling the layers of rock surrounding them and chucking up a dirty column of dust.

"Vegeta!" Krillin cried. "Damn that had to hurt!"

Paragus began to laugh. "I've waited all these years for this. It may not be the King but the Prince will do."

"Enough of you," Piccolo'd reached his patience's end. Within a flash he was inches from Paragus, who could only form his face into shock before Piccolo's energy attack shot free from his hand, overwhelming and obliterating the aged Saiyan within an instant. The move shocked his comrades but Piccolo seemed indifferent to the murder he'd just committed, merely walking back towards them and sniffing a little.

Vegeta emerged from the rubble, looking worse for wear. Broly stood inches from him, suddenly throwing a hand out and striking the shorter warrior down back onto the ground. Vegeta hit the ground hard, head bouncing off the rock before it was pinned down hard by Broly's foot, the legendary monster forcing down more weight onto the Saiyan's head. Vegeta choked out a cry, enduring the torturous pain while Broly merely grinned with satisfaction. Quickly his foot came off, taking a couple of steps back to finish the Prince off.

Gohan was there in a flash, knocking Broly's arm to the side and sending the attack in the wrong direction. He kicked out at his neck, forcing a stumble from the taller fighter. Broly was furious, snatching Gohan's incoming wrist and swinging him around above his head before slamming him down into Vegeta. The two fighters vanished underneath the surface with a terrific bang.

"Gohan!" Piccolo hollered.

Chiri dashed forward, determined to distract the Legendary Super Saiyan from her brother and Vegeta. "Kakarrot!" She hollered, the call instantly getting their foe's attention. The shout seemed to anger him further, his eyes pinning onto the teenager heading for him. His fist lodged clean into her nose, sending her skidding back several hundred metres. Chiri quickly came to a halt, face-down upon the ground. The skin on her nose felt raw from what she could feel, as she lay thinking how stupid she'd just been. _'Why did I not turn into a Super Saiyan before I did that?'_ She'd deserved that hit, she concluded.

Rising onto her hands and knees, she could see in the distance Broly was once again battling with her brother. Gohan had fired off a Kamehameha, which Broly was countering with an attack of his own.

She rose fully and clenched her fists, drawing on the power she held within and transforming into a Super Saiyan. Her brother needed help and the only way she could see them doing anything was by overpowering Broly. So she launched herself up high into the sky, eyes quickly flitting to Broly as she flew over him cautiously, landing by Gohan's side. She drew back her own hands and spoke the words: "Kamehame HA!" Firing off the attack, her beam joined with Gohan's attack, the two starting to hold off Broly's attack.

Beside them, Krillin and Piccolo had also appeared. Krillin fired off a Kamehameha to join the two Son teenagers. Piccolo fired off his Makankosappo, the spiralling beam standing alongside the thicker blue light of the trio Kamehameha. Slowly the attacks were beginning to push Broly back, forcing him off the ground. His attack was strong and still was managing to hold some resistance despite the number of energies being forced into its rival beam. It wasn't until another two joined the group that the Legendary Super Saiyan lost control.

The large beams of blue and yellow ripped apart the green, striking Broly and sending him soaring through the skies and beyond.

His energy vanished.

The light of the attacks vanished beyond the horizon above, vanishing into the atmosphere and passing off into space.

* * *

If it hadn't been for his dad, Trunks had been sure none of them would have been able to have beaten that monster. Those had been his words when he'd been scolded by Gohan for not taking Videl to safety with Goten, as they'd been ordered to. Goten had stood guiltily looking down at the ground, hands behind his back with one foot turning the dirt below it. Piccolo and Vegeta were more stand-offish, Vegeta having even gone so far to have left his son behind and fly off somewhere.

"So where is Videl anyway?" Gohan huffed annoyed. "Please tell me you took her to Dende?"

"Actually, we took her to the base of Korin Tower," Chiri chimed in. She didn't falter even with the glare of irritation coming from her brother. "What? If we'd taken her to see Dende then she would have known aliens exist! I didn't think regular people knew that so I didn't chance it."

"So what did you do, then?" Gohan barked.

"Does it matter?" Chiri didn't know exactly why she'd asked him this because of course it mattered to him. Anyone who was a friend to him would matter! Still she wasn't sure he'd take the news well that Chiri herself had been forced to knock Videl out for asking too many questions about things she shouldn't know about. Time would tell whether or not she would need to know why Broly's hair had changed colour and what the strange medicine that'd healed her was called.

It occurred to her that perhaps having left Videl in the middle of that forest without any clue as to where she was had been a bad idea.

"Of course it matters!" Gohan predictably shouted back at her. "Do you not understand the severity of what's just happened? I've been trying to keep our true identity a secret from her and here you are now dodging every important question I have for you! I'm not even sure her dad knows where she's going when she comes to train with us! Could you imagine what would happen to our family if word got out that she'd been involved in a terrible accident and it was all our fault and she tells the media what we've been doing? Could you imagine all those reporters in our garden? Could you imagine how difficult our lives would become?"

"Alright, alright!" Chiri snapped back. "I get the message! I'll go and find her."

This angered Gohan more. "What do you mean 'find' her? You lost her?"

"She's at Korin Tower," Goten quietly answered, daring not to meet his older brother's eye.

Chiri dashed off before she could hear another word from Gohan. How irritating he was when he was in this mood, she thought to herself. At least she'd bothered to take his friend – not her friend, _his_ friend – off to a safe place and get her healed from her injuries. Now he was yelling at her for doing something helpful and trying to keep their secrets a secret. Why did she even bother?

The journey across from their battle site to Korin Tower at a leisurely movement would have taken her a couple of hours. But as she was moving as quickly as possible, it took Chiri under an hour and when she landed at the site, she was in need of a drink and a small snack. Unfortunately when she did arrive, she came to find the place deserted. A feeling of dread crossed her mind when she thought of what Videl would be like when she found her. Sure she was supposed to be pretty strong for a regular human but was she capable of looking after herself in the wilderness like this?

She didn't have to think much more. A call from the right caught Chiri's attention, a spear was thrust between her eyes by a tall but handsome-looking man, his skin as dark as the tree bark surrounding them. Now that she noticed it, the spear he held in his hands was broken, snapped clean in half from the looks of the rushed job to fix it she could see: a single piece of string trying to keep the two pieces together.

"Who are you? What brings you here to Korin Tower?" The man asked suspiciously.

"I'm looking for this girl; she's older than me but probably younger than you," Chiri answered unfazed. "She has dark hair, blue eyes, kinda angry all the time."

The man took a step back and slowly retracted his spear. "… A female like that was here recently. Are you friends with this girl?"

"She's a friend of my brother's," Chiri shook her head. "I wouldn't call her a friend of mine. She got separated from the rest of us so it's really important I find her."

The man studied her intensely, making Chiri feel a rush of some sort. Now that she looked at him, he was quite handsome. But what was she saying? She was thirteen and in no way interested in boys or men – and he looked far too old for her anyway. "Hang on, what're you doing here anyway? It's not like I've ever really seen many people around here before."

"I live here under the base of the tower," The man replied. "My tribe have lived here for generations and act as the protectors of Korin Tower."

This triggered a feeling in Chiri, as if she remembered something but couldn't quite pin down what it was. She dismissed it and continued. "So, have you seen this girl or not, and can you point me in…" Wait, what was she doing? "… I'm sorry to bother you!" She quickly took to the skies, ignoring the man's commotions below her. How could she be so stupid? She could sense life forces! _'Idiot!'_ Judging from the feel of Videl's life force, she wasn't too far away although she was increasing the distance between them. Chiri set off through the sky, following where she could sense Videl coming from. By now her stomach was beginning to growl at her. She'd have to get some food soon or she'd find herself in a terrible mood, too agitated to deal with Gohan's wrath or Videl's questions.

At last Chiri began closing in on her. It seemed as if Videl had taken off on foot as opposed to flying from the tower, which struck Chiri as odd considering how much training she'd had on it recently. Finding her amongst the dark canopy below was going to be the more difficult part.

Gohan's energy was rapidly closing in too. Chiri stopped in her tracks, uncertain whether or not she could deal with another heated conversation with him. In any case he was surely tracking down Videl so surely he wouldn't mind her getting some food and a drink? No, she couldn't chance it. As much as he'd be a pain to listen to, Chiri knew she'd have to find Videl first to show to her brother that she had done as she'd set out to do. So with that, she continued her search, peering down below as Videl was around this immediate area.

"Hey!" She called out, hoping Videl would hear her and join her in the sky. But either she was ignoring her or simply could not hear her. Chiri sighed and endured another protest from her stomach. Then another one. The second was harder to ignore. Chiri groaned and called out loudly to Videl once more, but again she either didn't hear or was ignoring her. She couldn't catch up to her in this mood. She'd fill her stomach now and take the fall later on. Chiri descended down towards the ground, eyes scanning her surroundings for any signs of food. Nothing stood out to her immediately and she knew she'd find nothing substantial here in the forest. This was getting her nowhere.

Chiri sighed defeated and leant back against a tree trunk, sliding uncomfortably down onto the ground. Closing her eyes, she was haunted by past memories of her mother's cooking, the wonderful warm aromas floating around the house, inviting them all to settle down at the table. Her stomach made its biggest and most painful growl yet.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked a couple of times before her disorientation disappeared. She was staring at her own ceiling. The confusion hit fast.

Sitting up on her bed, Chiri swung her legs over the side and winced when her stomach protested. Damn it, so she hadn't imagined being as hungry as she remembered. _'Well at least I'm near a decent source of food.'_ She told herself, forcing her body to make its way down the hallway and into the kitchen. The house was pitch black but someone had apparently left the light on in her room. Down the hallway, a light was on in the living room. Chiri passed through the threshold, surprised to see her mother was still awake. Whatever she'd been looking through was immediately shut when she sensed another being in the room, eyes momentarily widened in that split second before she realised it was her daughter.

"Everything alright?" Chiri raised an eyebrow.

"Y-Yeah, I wasn't expecting you to be up so soon," Chichi responded. "What were you doing out in your state? I hope you're not starving yourself or something because it's not going to work out the way you think it will. Young men don't like girls who don't have a bit of meat on them."

"Mother, I am not developing an eating disorder!" Chiri hissed. "I guess I didn't realise how hungry I was…" What had Gohan and Goten said? She had nothing to go on other than her mother's responses. She thought fast. "What are you doing anyway?"

Chichi took a moment to respond, looking a little forlorn as she did so. "I was looking through some of our old family albums."

Chiri's features softened out of pity. With her father returning to them for a mere day, it was little surprise to find her mother reminiscing and pining for him again. Damn that jerk of a father she had, having made such a drastic decision so long ago and leaving them all the way he did. He never seemed to consider just how much it'd make them all hurt but most of all, how heartless it looked when she'd find her mother in tears in the darkest parts of the night, or having heard her weeping quietly during the day. It'd been a good number of years since those days but it still sat fresh in Chiri's subconscious, her mother's mournful sobs forever scarred in her memories.

She joined her mother and the two began looking through photos of years ago, some before and others after her father's time. It surprised Chiri to see just how many photos had been taken since, many which featured her she had no recollection of anyone being there with a camera. There were a few celebrating Goten's first birthday, loads taken during Krillin and Eighteen's wedding, amongst various other random events such as picnics, parties and days out to the sea or up the mountains. Neither of them seemed to pay much attention to the time until a long yawn escaped Chichi's mouth.

"Goodness, what's the time? It must be very late," She glanced towards the small side table where one of their clocks sat, signalling that it was past one in the morning. "We'd better be getting off to sleep. Come on, bed time."

Chiri snorted as she slid off the sofa. "Mother, I'm not a five year old, I don't have a bed time."

"As long as you live under this roof, you will always have a bed time." Came her mother's response as she packed the albums away. "No child of mine is going to stay up all night when they have work to be catching up in the morning."

* * *

From the sounds of it, Gohan had somehow managed to forge a story together to satisfy Videl's questions. Chiri was grateful that he had seemed to have forgotten his anger towards her and for the most part, she kept herself to herself and out of his way. Occasionally she would spar with her younger brother, surprised with just how strong he was for his age. He was a character, annoying at the best of times but quite timid and modest around unfamiliar settings. But then the spitting image would connect with the spitting personality and at times, she felt as if she was with her father, reborn through this child. His appetite was insatiable, much like her's and Gohan's, his mannerisms were obnoxiously adorable and yet he couldn't seem to help but rile her up.

"For goodness sake Goten!" Chiri barked fed up. "I told you how to do it a million times, it's really not meant to be this hard!"

"I'm trying!" Goten squawked back. "You're just not explaining it right! Gohan told it much better than you did!"

"I beg to differ," Chiri rolled her eyes, folding her arms. "Ok, focus and try again. If you don't get control of your energy properly then you'll be a laughing stock. Trunks can do it so you can too!"

The little child pouted, a master of the pout and having many opportunities to have perfected the expression. His energy flickered a little but quickly calmed as he gained control. Slowly he rose up into the air, not far off the ground before he stopped mid-air. Concentration was now written into his face as held out a palm, calling out the energy and forming it into a ball. His stance faltered a little but unlike last time, he didn't drop out of the air. The ball flickered dangerously close to vanishing but he held his concentration before firing it off towards a small boulder, which promptly exploded into large clumps of rock. Goten landed heavy-footed back onto the grass. "I could do it better without you talking!" He spat indignantly.

"It's about time you pulled your finger out and got it right," Chiri retorted venomously. "Geez, it really wasn't difficult to do, was it?"

"Hey!" Their older brother's voice called from a distance, alerting the two siblings. "Mother's got dinner ready so come on back you guys!"


	10. AoT Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Day Off from Death**

The entire island was packed full of people as far as the eye could see. Chiri kept her eyes peeled for any signs of her father or the others; Piccolo hadn't travelled with the group to the tournament grounds after all, nor had Tenshinhan or Chaozu. Who knew, perhaps they'd appear as well. It'd been a long time since the last time Chiri'd seen either of them, possibly Krillin's wedding four years ago…

"Gosh it's busy," Goten quietly noted, sticking close to his mother's side. "Do you really think they'll be able to fit everyone into the tournament? So many people…"

"Of course they will," Trunks snorted, a head taller than the miniature-Goku. His demeanour was one of confidence and excitement, more outgoing than his childhood friend and much a stark difference compared to his future timeline counterpart. Apparently this is what happened when Vegeta lived and continued to live at Capsule Corp. His confidence was contagious apparently.

"So far, no sign of Goku," Bulma frowned, barging past a particularly rude group. "I hate crowds."

"It's a lot bigger and busier here than it used to be at the Budokai," Krillin mused looking rather alarmed. "I wonder what else might have changed in almost twenty years..."

"Look!" Goten called above the holler of the crowds. "Gohan, it's Piccolo! Over there!"

Indeed Piccolo was stood under the shade of a tall palm tree, hidden well away from prying eyes and minding his own business. His eyes snapped open as the group approached him, expression indifferent to their arrival… until his eyes fell upon his former student. "… Are you really going to participate in that?"

"Apparently," Chiri dryly sighed. Piccolo was of course referring to the clothes Gohan wore. For some reason he figured dressing up as the Great Saiyaman or whatever he called himself was a good idea and would protect his identity. Fat chance, Chiri thought. His voice was a dead giveaway to anyone who knew him, not to mention how much the costume seemed to magnify his nerdiness. Chiri had no issues with intelligent people in general but she did have an issue with her brother looking like a child dressing up for a costume party.

"What? It's stylish," Gohan's expression brought to mind the phrase water off a duck's back to Chiri; he seemed indifferent and unfazed by the suggestive comment. To be fair he had been getting a lot of concerned looks from them all since he'd started up this Great Saiyaman business. No one could quite believe that Bulma was the designer of his outfit and had questioned just how serious she'd been when designing it. Chiri was convinced Bulma's anticipated it being a joke and so hadn't bothered in making him look cool because she'd thought he'd never wear it. How wrong she was.

Over the loud system, the fighters were called towards the registration desk to sign up within the next fifteen minutes. The group continued on. It wasn't long before they reached the gates, watching the vast majority of people passing through the spectators gates towards the stands, with a small group of burly fighters signing up as spectators.

"He's still not here," Chichi was growing concerned. "Come on Goku, you're going to miss signing up at this rate."

"He'll be here," Bulma reassured her with a hand on the shoulder. "He's never let us down before and he wouldn't miss this for anything."

As if on que, Goku's energy burst rudely into their heads. Chiri whirled her head around, almost snapping it clean from her neck as her eyes set upon him. There he stood a few feet from the group, Baba floating menacingly beside him. His eyes, they hadn't changed. His face, his mouth, that smile of his, his posture, his demeanour, his essense. It was still the same as ever, unaffected by the effects of death and having been on the other side for around seven years. He was here standing amongst them.

She didn't know what to do. She felt numb. What was wrong? Why wasn't she feeling anything? Why wasn't she happy, or sad, or angry? As her family and friends rushed the dead man, she stood aside close to Trunks, unsure whether or not she ought to be joining in. Her brother was overjoyed to see their father, her mother was shedding tears of joy, her little brother hiding meekly behind her leg. Chiri could understand why Goten didn't seem so enthusiastic about their father's appearance but she didn't understand her own dulled response.

It seemed that Goku had noticed Goten hiding behind their mother's leg. He approached the small child, coming down to his level and greeting him. Goten looked uncertain at first and Chiri couldn't blame him for not being sure what to do. The only fathers that were in his life were Krillin - who was a pretty decent, caring father towards Marron – and then there was Vegeta and how he responded to Trunks…

"Daddy!" The little child suddenly rushed fearlessly past his mother and threw himself into his father's open arms. Goku rose back to full height and settled Goten upon his shoulder, "Whoa, you're a tough little guy aren't you? How old are you, Goten?"

"Seven," Goten replied with a bashful smile.

"We'd better keep on moving if we want to enter this tournament," Piccolo cut in.

So the group continued on, soon having to split into its two parties; participants and spectators. Chiri received a kiss on the cheek from her mother as she wished her and her brothers and fathers luck in the tournament before leaving with the rest of those not taking part, quickly vanishing into the crowds. Quickly Gohan vanished off elsewhere, Chiri assuming he'd spotted Videl or something. She wasn't happy with his departure because she'd been hoping to tag onto him and stick close to her older brother without having to talk to her dad so much. With Gohan gone, she was left uncertain who she could spend that much time talking to without having her father butt his nose in. Why she suddenly felt so hostile to him was a mystery to her but she refused to think too much over it. She had a tournament to enter.

There was a small table with a rather large man settled behind it, wearing what appeared to be staff uniform. Chiri'd seen a few men and women dressed similarly to this man amongst the crowds and at the gates. The group approached, Goten and Trunks taking the lead and reaching the desk first.

"Two contestants for the Junior Division," The man smiled, taking his pen and rearranging his papers.

"Junior Division?" Trunks repeated sounding alarmed. "No thanks, we're gonna compete with the adults!"

"I'm sorry but you can't enter the Senior Division if you're under the age of sixteen," The man frowned sternly. "If you want to take part, you will have to do so in the Junior Division. Those are the rules."

' _Under sixteen?'_ Chiri's eyes widened in horror. _'You've got to be joking!'_ Quickly she snuck over to Krillin and bent down a little to his height. "I don't remember you saying anything about there being two different divisions!" She hissed quietly.

But Krillin looked just as flabbergasted as she did. "This is news to us too. We never had a Junior Division in our day."

What was she going to do? Chiri refused to beat up on the kids younger than her, there was no interest in that for her. Even if she did end up fighting kids between her age and fifteen, she knew how it'd end. Even if she ended up facing off against Goten or Trunks, neither of them were a decent match. They were challenging but it wasn't the same as getting to face off against someone like Gohan or Piccolo or Vegeta or her dad. There had to be a way she could somehow enter the Senior Divison.

Perhaps her ridiculous growth spurt would finally have a positive use…

"Son… Goten… Junior Division," The gentleman behind the table had finished writing down her younger brother's name. "Who's next?"

Whilst the other adults stepped forward, she began to pump herself up ready for what she was about to do. Inside there was something sharp and loud but she chose to ignore it as best she could; she knew what she was about to do was dishonest but if it didn't work and she was found out, she couldn't imagine going forward with entering the Junior Divison. Finally it was her turn. She stepped forward silently, not uttering a word. The man the other side of the desk smiled in a friendly manner and rearranged the papers upon his desk. "Name?"

Chiri swallowed the lump in her throat. "S-Son Chiri." She answered.

The man kept his eyes on her a little more than she was comfortable with. Had he sussed her out? Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, she could feel the blood seeping up her neck.

"Son…. Chiri…" The man had now glanced down back at the papers. She couldn't quite see what division she was being entered into and didn't want to look too suspicious as she leant forward. Annoyingly the man's other hand was covering the top of the paper, likely where her answer would have been written. She leant back abruptly as the man's head turned back up to face her. "Right. Next please."

"Sorry, which division have I been placed under?" Chiri asked. "You didn't say."

The man looked at her perplexed. "… The Senior Division. Isn't that obvious?" He asked.

Inwardly she was cheering and jumping for joy. Outwardly a small smile crept across her face. "Good. I was worried you'd think I was too young to enter the Senior Division." And with that she skipped away happily before the man could question her further.

Soon everyone had been signed up to their tournament divisions – Piccolo having chosen to go under an alias; Ma Junior. The group made their way through the gates and into the competitors' area.

"All contestants for the Junior Division, please make your way over," An official's voice called out over a loud speaker.

"Good luck, kids," Krillin grinned as a disgruntled looking Trunks and Goten slowly made their way off towards the official. Chiri couldn't blame them for looking so downtrodden. She wouldn't have been pleased to find out she'd have to face off against other kids… especially knowing that none of those kids would be able to cause them any harm.

"Hey, where's Gohan?" Goku asked, having finally noticed his eldest was missing from the group.

"He went off to find a friend," Chiri answered, immediately regretting it. Now it meant conversation between them was open. But to her mercy, her father seemed happy with that answer and didn't ask her anything else.

"All Senior Division contestants, this way please," Another official's voice was calling through the loud speaker just ahead of them. "This way to register a score!"

"A score?" Krillin repeated. "What are they talking about now?"

"So much has changed," Goku mused. "The grounds feel more busier than before. I wonder if they're gonna get us to have pre-match fights like they used to."

But it wasn't as the old-school competitors had remembered. There were only sixteen spots for the tournament – Krillin told Chiri that it'd doubled since their day when there'd only been eight spaced – and to work out who the sixteen competitors were, they wouldn't fight one another. Instead, they'd punch a strange-looking machine to try and get the biggest score possible. The reigning champion Mr Satan would automatically score a place to defend his title, leaving fifteen spots to fight for.

"Oh!" A gentleman with blond hair, wearing a dark suit with dark shades suddenly approached the group at a jog. "It's you guys!"

"Hey!" Goku and Krillin grinned back at him.

"It's been so long since you guys have entered!" The man exclaimed looking overjoyed. Chiri had no idea who he was but couldn't help notice the notepad in his hand. She didn't get the impression that he was a fighter with his stature and lack of muscle. Besides, why would a fighter come wearing a suit? He had to be something else.

"And I see you've brought some others with you?" The man craned his neck around Krillin's head and observed the rest of the group. "That's fantastic. No doubt we'll be expecting something special from you guys. Just try not to destroy the ring this time."

"We'll try," Piccolo responded looking bizarrely friendly towards the man, which Chiri found highly disturbing. Destroying the ring? Could it be that this man had seen her father and his friends fighting in the tournament during the old days, before she was born? Well, that would be a surprise if it turned out to be true. Chiri didn't have time to ask because someone was once again hollering over the loud speakers, announcing that the qualifying round was now beginning. The crowds suddenly surged towards the machine, Chiri unable to see who was talking amongst the large crowd of burly fighters.

"Each contestant will be asked to draw a number and line up in accordance to the number you have selected," The voice instructed. "When your number is called, please step forward to the punching device and strike the machine on the padded weight. We will then be given a number – this is the score you have achieved. Once you have collected your score, keep hold of your number and wait for the results over to the right. Once all contestants have placed a score, we will take a small amount of time before reading out the results on the loud speaker."

"This is nuts," Krillin mused. "A punch machine? We've gotta get this right."

"To show you a demonstration, we are lucky to be able to announce that the current champion, Mr Satan, has agreed to be our demonstrator. So please put your hands together for the reigning Tenkaichi Budokai champion – Mr Satan!"

As expected, there was a lot of hooting and cheering amongst the crowds, Chiri covering her ears from the sudden roar. A tap on her shoulder made her whirl around, surprised to see her brother and Videl standing beside her. She couldn't hear Gohan over the roar of the crowds and ended up having to compete amongst the noise, "What?"

"I said," Gohan leaned in closer, "I'm surprised to see you here!"

Chiri flushed. "I didn't say anything, he just assumed!" She yelled back, worried not to say too much in case someone ratted her out.

The crowds roar died down instantly as the champion began spewing out his usual, daring anyone to get a better score than him and to meet him in the ring. It was around this point Chiri began blocking him out, not really aware of what was going on even after the crowd roared again when Mr Satan had demonstrated a gained a score of one hundred and thirty seven. The crowds began to merge into a line; the group joined somewhere amongst the middle. Chiri stayed close to the others, unsure where Gohan and Videl had vanished to but not particularly caring either. Slowly they shuffled forward until she picked up her number. Ninety one. She joined behind Vegeta in the line, not paying too much more attention to the machine until finally it was the first of their group's turn. Eighteen had stepped forward, Krillin mumbling something Chiri couldn't hear before she told him rather gruffly that she knew. The blonde raised one arm and flicked the back of her hand lightly against the machine. It bleeped into life and gave a score.

"Seven hundred and seventy four!" The stubby official gaped in horror. The crowd reflected the shock and surprise, many gasps and mumbles echoing through the cordoned off area.

"That's what you call taking it easy?" Krillin raised an unimpressed eyebrow and was gruffly told to shut up by his wife. Chiri snorted quietly to herself in amusement.

"There seems to have been a malfunction, sorry about that," The man seemed to have recovered. Another official started to fidget around with the machine for a couple of minutes before stepping back. "Alright, try again."

Eighteen indeed tried again. It was hard to tell given that she didn't give off life energy but Chiri assumed she'd be holding back even further than before. A score of two hundred and three rang out, the officials still looking horrified but resigning themselves to the fact that a score higher than the current champion's had just come up. Krillin was next and scored one hundred and ninety two. Her dad gained one hundred and eighty six points. Piccolo stepped forward; Vegeta was next and then it would be her turn. Piccolo scored two hundred and ten points. With each score the group recorded came a wounded cry from the stunned crowds. Chiri began to focus her energy, suppressing it as much as possible whilst making sure she wasn't going to be accidentally outdone.

"There seems to be a malfunction with the machine, send someone down to have another look at it while we bring in the spare," One of the officials mumbled as Vegeta stepped forward, Chiri swallowing hard knowing she was next.

The machine shattered into hundreds of pieces across the wall, slamming hard against the brick which buckled under the force. With an almighty crash the wall collapsed over the wrangled punching device, covered with a loose dusting of dirt and smoke. Everyone's eyes were pinned to the rubble, wide in horror. Chiri's jaw had dropped slightly, stunned with a mixture of disbelief and anger.

"Um… stand-by while we collect the other back-up machine," One of the officials weakly spoke up.

Chiri looked at the others of their group who'd already gained their scores, wishing that somehow she could go back through time to make sure she wasn't behind Vegeta in the line. She would give anything to not be the one stuck here waiting for her turn, having to wait with her brother and his unofficial girlfriend amongst the other disappointingly weak fighters.

"Hey, we're going to go and watch the boys in the Junior Division," Goku's words barely passed into her consciousness. "You gonna be alright waiting here with Gohan?"

It took her another few seconds to answer. "…Yeah, sure… If you decide to get any food, make sure Vegeta's food gets burned to a crisp."


	11. AoT Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Decisive Numbers**

She didn't stay with her brother and Videl like she said she would. Like she was going to give up her position in the line so easily. No, she was the next in line and they were so much further back waiting still for the new machine to be brought it. Besides, she didn't want to feel like the third wheel.

Finally, after what must have been twenty minutes worth of waiting… or maybe forty minutes… or maybe even an hour, the machine was up and ready. Chiri wasted no time, concentrating her energy once more and managing a score of one hundred and ninety nine. She was out within a flash, rushing past the entrances into the stadium and leaping through the doorway into the first restaurant she came across. No one but staff were here. "Is this one of the restaurants the competitors can use?" She asked.

"Yeah, do you have your number card?" One of the staff members asked.

Chiri picked the number from her wristband and showed it to them, getting the green light to sit herself down at one of the tables overlooking the make-shift streets no one seemed to be wandering down. She had no particular need to go and watch the Junior Division because she knew how it would end up. Besides, it was being broadcasted on the televisions in the restaurant so she had no need to head out into the stands. Why bother when she had all this space to herself alongside an all-you-can-eat buffet?

It was oddly nice having all this time to herself, away from the others. It was a bonus that the restaurant itself was practically empty, save her and those who worked here. The staff were very efficient taking away her used plates at the pace she was cleaning the food from them. She would often spend time on her own back home, wandering through the forest or the nearby mesas, passing across the many streams and rivers lining the local area. But it was something different spending time alone in a place full of people. She'd never really gone through any towns or cities on her own, without family or friends before. It was an odd rush that made her feel older and more mature. It gave her a rush that made her want to do this more often.

"Excuse me, miss," One of the waiters had made their way over to her table. "Before you order anything else, can I just check that you have enough money to pay for this?"

Chiri stared as the question sunk in and swallowed hard.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Gohan asked incredulously.

' _Washing dishes and being yelled at. I didn't know we couldn't eat for free!'_ Like Chiri was going to tell him the truth; he'd rat her out to their mother and then she'd kill Chiri. Or at the very least, give her a whole load of chores to do for several months and take away a lot of her free time. "Nowhere," was her response. Gohan's expression – whilst his eyes were hidden behind his dark glasses – remained static and disbelieving.

"Too bad you missed the boys' fight," Goku smiled. "Those two are really something."

"Yeah," Chiri rolled her eyes, feigning disinterest. It looked like the match had only just finished but Chiri knew what'd happened, having sensed it all from back in the kitchens. Goten had at one point transformed into a Super Saiyan and so had Trunks. She could see who the victor had been, the lavender-haired child still standing in the middle of the tournament ring. _'Too bad, Goten…'_ She shook her head silently and exhaled.

"Now for a special exhibition match," The announcer – the guy with the blond hair and shades that'd spoken to them earlier – was stood in the centre of the arena next to Trunks, a microphone in his hand. "As previously stated, the winner of the Junior Division will have the opportunity to take on Mr Satan! So here is the man you've all been waiting for - please give it up for our champion, Mr Satan!"

The deafening roar from the crowds below was overwhelming, Chiri almost lost her balance. Clutching onto the railing, she steadied herself and watched as the man himself strode out of one of the hidden entrances and out onto the ring.

"This is just awful," Krillin sighed. "Hey, you guys fancy getting a bite to eat?"

"Yeah!" Goku was quick to answer.

Chiri didn't follow, having already eaten but now wanting to avoid heading anywhere near to that restaurant. The group were quickly confronted by a baffled and insulted Videl. "Don't you think you ought to watch this match? He's the world champion. Don't you wanna study his technique?"

"That's a great idea!" Gohan sounded way too enthusiastic for Chiri's liking, probably trying to score points with her or something. The way he was acting whenever Videl was around was irritating at best; he was way too agreeable with her, even if the idea was stupid.

"Nah, we'll be alright," Goku shook his head, continuing to wander off. "See you guys later."

The group left. Chiri watched them go with envy. She was not going to be the third wheel, stuck with her suck-up brother and his girlfriend-who-wasn't-apparently-his-girlfriend. She begrudgingly turned her attention back to the ring below, watching with disinterest as the taller fighter approached Trunks, then jumped back a few seconds later, then shrunk feigning an injury or something. This was pitifully dull to watch. She had to go and find something different to do.

Trunks approached the champion, who leant down and inched the right side of his face closer to the child. Trunks lightly tapped the man and sent him soaring clean off his feet, slamming into the wall at the edge of the grassy perimeter. Chiri wasn't at all surprised Trunks had beaten him, she wasn't surprised he'd smacked Mr Satan across the arena. This was all dull and predictable. "… Well there, I watched for his techniques." She muttered dryly towards her brother and his shell-shocked friend. "I'm going." And so she took off in a run, leaping over the top of the stand and landing upon the roof of a lower part of the building. There she leapt from roof to roof of several other buildings, settling in the top of one of the palm trees dotting the main walkway for the fighters.

* * *

" _The finalists for the Senior Division have now been decided. Can all entrants for the Senior Division please make their way to the qualifying area, where a board will now display the final contestants and their scores."_

Chiri opened her eyes. How long had they been closed for? Jumping down from the tree she'd settled into, she darted down the pathway, down to the qualifying area as instructed. It didn't bother her that she was on her own in a mass of people, it didn't bother her where the others were. She knew they'd all qualified.

Reaching the area, her eyes peered past those who'd reached the board before her, many muttering things under their breath. As promised, she'd qualified. Everyone else in their group had also qualified. She snorted when she spotted Vegeta's name on the board, under the score column a note merely read: Unconfirmed due to breaking machine. She couldn't imagine they'd deny him access in fear of their own lives, having witnessed what he'd done to that machine.

"Can I have your attention please?" An official spoke over the loud speakers once more. "If your name is on the board, could you please step this way with your ticket number on hand."

Chiri stepped forward, ticket in hand. The official didn't take a second glance at her which only confirmed that if she really tried, she could sneak into age-rated movies without suspicion. "… Alright, number ninety one has registered. Welcome to the Budokai. If you could follow the path back down towards the arena and take the next left into the court, you will receive more instructions as to what to do next."

So she did as instructed, passing through the groups of unqualified fighters and rushed down the main path, turning left into a small entrance between two tall walls. It was almost as if when she'd stepped over the threshold, all the sounds of the crowds had mysteriously vanished. A couple of officials stood in the small square but apart from them, she was the only one here.

"Oh, that was fast!" The blond announcer from before appeared, approaching her. "Goodness, it'll be interesting to see how the Budokai will turn out this year. You're one of Son Goku's friends, aren't you?"

"I guess," Chiri raised an uncertain eyebrow. "What do you mean, it'll be interesting?"

"Oh, I don't mean anything bad about it," The man was quick to defend himself. "It's been so long since this tournament has seen some incredible battles such as the ones Goku and the others used to compete in. It's been very dull since he stopped competing but now, knowing you guys are here, it makes my heart beat with excitement! All those light attacks and flying about and the horrifying, fast-paced sparring that'd take place. It's been too long since we've had real excitement here."

Chiri was taken aback by his response. "… I see… Earlier, when you asked them not to destroy the ring…?"

"I'm surprised you don't already know but the last final Goku competed in was against Ma Junior," The announcer explained. "Ma Junior went so far as to destroy the ring with some kind of light beam. That was an intense fight, I was certain that Goku was going to die with all the damage he sustained, but somehow he made himself fly and head-butted Ma Junior from where the ring had once been. It was a terrifying but thrilling battle."

"Huh…" Chiri folded her arms. She'd have to question Piccolo about that later.

Other competitors were starting to make their way into the arena, so the announcer quickly left. Two pale-looking men passed through the threshold. One of them was a lot bigger and chunkier than the other, who seemed more serious and composed. Then came a large, fat man. Then a man with a naturally pretty face and blond hair that travelled down to his shoulders. Another two men appeared – these two made Chiri double-take. Aliens: that was the only way she could describe them. The taller one had his white hair brushed back over his shoulders, had reddish skin and a very stern look. The other was half the size of the first. His eyes pierced through her as if he could see into her soul and knew all of her darkest secrets. His pale lilac skin and mysteriously stylish hair made him look almost punk-like but the clothes he and his apparent comrade wore made them look royal and important in some way.

"Hey, you got here fast." Krillin's voice cut through Chiri's thoughts, almost making her jump out of her skin. She spun on the spot to see him and the rest of their group – Gohan and Videl included – approaching them. "Where have you been anyway?"

"Don't matter," Chiri responded. "You guys took your time eating."

"Hey, this is Goku we're talking about!" Krillin snorted cheerfully. He took a small step closer and whispered, "by the way, don't mention anything about Saiyans in front of that Videl person. Gohan'll clobber you if you do!"

"Of course he will," Chiri responded dryly. Though recent events had taught her the hard way that this was indeed true.

"Ok, it looks like almost everyone is here," The announcer smiled, bringing the microphone to his lips. "Alright, here's how the next lot is going to work. Each of you will be called forward to pick a number; the number you will choose will decide what match you will take part in during the Budokai. For example, if I were to get number seven, this would place me in match four against the individual who were to pick number eight. Unfortunately Mr Satan cannot be here to pick a number, so I shall choose for him on his behalf."

And so, one by one, each contestant was called forward to pick a number from a box. When Chiri was called, she had the joy of choosing number sixteen. Dead last. She sighed and resigned herself to the thought that she'd be half asleep by the time her match came up.

Soon everyone had their matches sorted out. The horrifying match would come early, way too early for everyone's liking. Goku had pulled out number eleven, whilst number twelve had been selected by none other than the person who'd set out over the past decade to destroy him. It was Goku against Vegeta. She'd never get to take part in the tournament. Vegeta'd already destroyed the punching machine so no doubt he'd also destroy the ring!

This wasn't panning out the way she'd hoped.

"I'm so sorry!" Videl was apologising to Eighteen. "It's too bad you didn't get to take part in one match before coming up against Daddy."

' _If it's anything like his match against Trunks then what's the problem?'_ Chiri sat herself down on the floor and folded her arms.

"You ok?" Her brother asked, towering over her now she was sitting. "You seem out of sorts." He squatted down beside her. "… How are you? Really?" His tone had changed.

"I'm ok," Chiri replied.

Gohan wasn't biting. "… No you're not. You've been distant ever since Dad arrived."

"Well why does that have to suddenly mean anything?" Chiri gruffly replied. "I'm distant half the time anyway and now because Dad's here, suddenly that has to mean something?"

Gohan sighed and rose back to his full height, wandering away muttering something under his breath.

"Right, now that all of the contestants have chosen a number, the matches will go as follows. Match one: Krillin versus Pintar. Match two: Shin versus Ma Junior. Match three: Videl versus Spopovich. Match four: Kibito versus The Great Saiyaman. Match five: Eighteen versus Mr Satan. Match six: Son Goku versus Vegeta. Match seven: Mighty Mask versus Jewel. And match eight: Yamu versus Son Chiri. May all contestants now please follow me down the path and into the waiting area. This waiting area will be where you will be required to wait for your matches. You are free to use the facilities designated to the contestants but please make sure you are back the match before yours begins, so as to cause minimal delays."

Chiri glanced over at the two pale men, in particular the shorter, leaner of the two. Something about them creeped her out but perhaps it was because they seemed to have suffered some illness that'd caused them to lose all body hair. They didn't even have eyebrows. It was the shorter one – Yamu – who she would be facing in the first round. The other man - Spopovich or something – was due to fight Videl in the first round.

The small crowd followed the announcer down the path towards the main stadium, passing through a small set of doors and through another into the main waiting area. The room itself was full of tall, small windows close to the ceiling, a small draft crossing from one side of the room to the other. Ahead of them was the entrance out into the ring, a large plaque in the middle of this entrance which seemed oddly placed.

"Right, we will give you five minutes before the first match will start," The announcer added before making his way out into the arena.

* * *

The five minutes flew by and as quick as a flash, Krillin was being called out onto the ring alongside the fat man, Puntar. The larger man was quite the gloater and more than happy to insult Krillin's height and appearance, so it came with great satisfaction to see Krillin effortlessly defeat him. Next up was Shin – who turned out to be the short, lavender-skinned man that'd caught Chiri's eye earlier – against Ma Junior – Piccolo's alias. Almost as quickly as it'd started, it'd ended. Piccolo didn't even try to fight him, merely appeared to hold a staring contest until something spooked him and he left the ring, losing.

"What was that about?" Chiri raised an eyebrow, alarmed at how out-of-character her former mentor seemed. She watched as Piccolo walked past them all, Gohan questioning him as he passed by.

"Is he really that strong, Piccolo?" Goku asked sounding serious.

Piccolo stopped. "… More than you could imagine."

"D-Don't say that!" Krillin shivered. "I'm the one who has to face him next!"

Chiri looked back that the shorter fighter, who was now also making his way back into the waiting area. The creepy smile etched across his youthful face seemed deceptive. She wanted to suddenly know more about him, as if whatever this was had been a mask, hiding some deep dark secret. It took a powerful fighter to stop Piccolo dead in his tracks the way this young man had. What was worse, Piccolo hadn't even gone to land a hit against him.

"Our next match features the former Junior Divison champion – now old enough to participate in the Senior Division!" The announcer's voice echoed off the walls of the stadium. "That's right; it's Videl!"

The crowds suddenly roared into life, you'd have thought there'd been a mass shootout or something with the way some of them were screaming in hysterics. Chiri covered her ears and watched as Videl stepped out, giving them all the thumbs up as she left. Behind her was her opponent, the chunky brute Spopovich. He looked furious, literally hissing as he passed Chiri. She gave him a dirty look as she passed, annoyed with the bad temper he seemed to have. The two made their way onto the ring as the announcer continued to babble on for the sake of the crowds, explaining the backstory of both fighters. Apparently Spopovich had been defeated by Mr Satan in the previous tournament. From the feel of his energy…

Chiri's brow fell. _'… What's going on?'_


	12. AoT Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Revenge in Multiple Instances**

Chiri looked on baffled as she concentrated on Spopovich's energy. The guy was human, there was nothing else to suggest he wasn't… and yet something about his life force seemed tainted. He wasn't very strong at all but something about him didn't seem right. Her attention then went to the other in the room, his apparent comrade Yamu. Again there it was, that little tinge of impurity in his life force. She took a small gulp of fresh air in. She was the one who'd have to face off against Yamu. Perhaps this match was worth watching after all, just to see how Spopovich fought. It was no guarantee that studying Spopovich would give her any clues on how Yamu would fight but the pair had bizarre-feeling energies. It'd be good to see what they were both capable of.

The match started off well for the former Junior Division champion. Videl was on top form, completely dominating her opponent with decent attacks, getting past his defences and even managing to throw him around the ring on several occasions. Chiri hadn't actually seen Videl fight or spar before so it came as a nice surprise to see how skilled she actually was for a human. But then again, her opponent was beginning to trouble her further. With each undeniably flawless attack Videl threw at him, Spopovich kept on getting back up for more.

"Yeah! Come on Videl!" Gohan cheered. "She's really dominating him!"

"Yeah, she's not bad for a regular human," Chiri agreed.

"Hey, excuse me?" Krillin grumbled. "What do you mean by 'regular' human? Are you saying I'm irregular in some way?" The tone had turned into a jokey sound but Chiri ignored him, concentrating on the fact that Spopovich had just been floored once more and again had gotten back up. The man was clearly tired but his life force suggested that he wouldn't have anything more to give… and then it would mysteriously re-boost itself. What was going on? Chiri imagined that was the kind of thing she would sense if she were able to pick up on Eighteen's life force.

Spopovich slapped Videl clean across the cheek, knocking her across the ring. Videl landed hard and skidded close towards the edge of the ring. She quickly rose and retaliated, charging in for another round of fast-paced punches and kicks. Spopovich knocked her back again but this time she was on guard, only skidding several feet back on her heels. Spopovich chased her down but was met with a cracking swing to the head.

Chiri gasped in horror at the sight she saw, the crowds howling in fear and disbelief. Spopovich's head had turned in an unnatural way and was now facing the direction of his back. Slowly he collapsed, limbs twitching, his life force fading fast.

'… _She killed him?'_ She could feel her heart thumping wildly in her throat, her pulse in her neck. What were the rules if someone accidentally killed the other contestant? Had anything like this ever happened before at the tournament? All of a sudden it was as if Videl was a completely different person. Suddenly there was a primal feeling of fear in the pit of her stomach, even though she knew she could take down Videl any day. Being witness to this seemed to be pulling back on old memories she'd rather forget about, flashbacks against Cooler, against Cell and the androids, against Bojack…

Spopovich's body rose to the shock and horror of everyone who bore witness. His hands grabbed hold of his head; his life force suddenly blazing strong again. With a horrendous crack, his neck was back in the right position.

The tables turned. Videl was tiring and Spopovich was more than capable apparently of taking anything she dished out. What infuriated Chiri more than anything was how many times Videl should have defeated him by now. With each attack, she'd floored him to the point where he would have passed out or in the one instance, died. Yet it was like something kept on hitting the reset button in his head or something crazy. He shouldn't still have been capable of standing and continuing on the fight.

It got bad quickly. Videl was now suffering and finding herself on the receiving end of his wrath. On one occasion she should have fallen from the ring but had kicked in her flight training, launching herself up into the air to recover. A smart move in most situations but apparently Spopovich could not only reposition his broken neck, he could also fly.

"How is he doing that?" Gohan cried, being very vocal throughout the whole fight.

"There's something not right about Spopovich," Goku uttered concerned. "I don't know what's going on but he seems to have abilities he shouldn't have."

"Indeed," Piccolo nodded in agreement, arms crossed over his chest. "Their life forces are warped, they've been altered in some way… It feels like something dark has befallen them."

"Dark? What do you mean?" Gohan asked.

"Dark magic perhaps…" Piccolo answered solemnly.

Spopovich not only flew higher than Videl, he then outstretched one of his hands, stretching his fingers out. Within that split second, he'd fired off an energy ball, Videl having been too stunned and exhausted to have dodged in time. She was struck down, crashing towards the ground. She saved herself last-minute, instead landing clumsily on her limbs. Now battle-damaged as well as lacking stamina, she was no match for the beating Spopovich made her endure. At this point Chiri couldn't understand why Spopovich wasn't ending the fight by chucking her from the ring or knocking her out. This was no longer sparring competitively, this was exactly like those fights from so long ago in her childhood. This was life and death. With every unnecessary punch and kick and jab, Videl began to resemble a multi-coloured ragdoll, limbs growing heavier and heavier with each hit she took, her skin blotched with bruises and blood. She collapsed to the ground, no reserves left to give.

"Give up!" Gohan had been hollering to her, almost begging her to end the match. But Videl was stubborn; she'd ignored his previous suggestions, had even refused to give in even at the announcer's suggestion. Whether she'd been beaten stupid and could no longer tell she couldn't win, or was just plain refusing to give up in front of all these people, Chiri didn't know. But she did know that the fight was unfair, that in any other situation Videl would have won easily if not for the strange feeling in Spopovich's energy. She'd have to take this into account when fighting her own opponent, Yamu. He had the same feel to his energy so no doubt he'd be able to reassign his neck should she accidentally break it… unless she kicked it clean off his head. But then she'd be disqualified.

Videl's screaming pierced through her consciousness; horrifically Spopovich now had a foot crushing down upon her head.

"Calm down, Gohan!" Goku barked. "Videl's not going to die!"

Her brother was absolutely furious. With an angry holler he transformed into a Super Saiyan, spurred on by the tears that were now falling down Videl's bloody face. "I don't care anymore!" Gohan bellowed. "I am not watching this anymore! This has got to stop!"

"Enough!" Yamu hollered out, making the others apart from Gohan jump. "End it now, Spopovich."

The giant brute seemed to have lost his euphoric state of pleasure and was now looking stone-serious at his comrade. Almost sheepishly he removed his foot from Videl's head and gently kicked her off the edge of the ring.

* * *

Gohan had been the first to run onto the grassy patches of the arena, picking Videl up in her arms. Chiri had come over to investigate but hadn't been given a chance before Gohan had run past her, into the waiting room and stopping to chat to his father before continuing out the other end of the room. No doubt he was trying to find some kind of medical facility. As Chiri wandered back in, she realised her father had in fact vanished.

"Where'd Dad go?" She asked baffled.

"Gohan asked if he could go to Korin's to see if there were any senzu beans left," Krillin gravely answered. "… Geez, she looked awful. That guy's such a brute. He's no fighter."

"No," Chiri shook her head, eyes glaring venomously over towards where Spopovich and Yamu were now standing in one of the corners of the room. "… He's a monster. An unintelligent idiot who doesn't know what humanity or compassion is. He's disgusting… I just hope his friend doesn't think that I'll go down as easily."

"Yeah, that's right," Krillin gulped. "You've gotta fight the other one… and if he gets through to the next round, Gohan will have to fight Spopovich. Man I'd hate to have to be that guy if he has to face Gohan. He did not look pleased…" His tone changed slightly. "… Are they…?"

Chiri got his tone. "I don't think so. Not yet anyway."

"Did you take note of his energy?" Piccolo cut in, eyes on Chiri. "His power was unnatural."

"Yeah, I felt it. Each time Videl knocked him down, his life force would act how you'd expect it to… but then it was like it got a boost or a reboot or something. It's not right."

"This'll probably be more of a tough match than you'd anticipated it to be," Piccolo warned. "Don't let your guard down. I don't know what exactly is going on but there seem to be a select few fighters here who are more than they appear… and I'm sure, in time, we'll be told what is really going on."

"You're talking about those other two as well, aren't you?" Chiri asked. "The two guys wearing the strange clothes."

Piccolo merely nodded but didn't say anything more.

It wasn't long until Gohan returned, having been thrown out of the medical room Videl had been taken to. The teen was restless and for good reason, waiting patiently for his father to return.

"Will she be ok?" Chiri couldn't help but ask, knowing it'd probably just annoy him more. But Gohan was either so angry he couldn't take it out on anyone, or he wasn't as angry as she'd anticipated.

"The medical staff have her plugged up to a drip and were starting to patch up her wounds when I was asked to leave," He mumbled. "… It's just not fair… She didn't deserve that, not at all…"

Chiri frowned and looked down at the tiles below her feet. She felt awful for him, especially as she could see the swarm of emotions crossing through his eyes. Gohan was renowned for his explosive rages but throughout his teen years, he'd grown to learn how to control them. Still the beast raged on inside of him, likely to now be turning inside and turning on him rather than being forced out and attacking anything that was unfortunate enough to be near him at the time.

Fortunately their father quickly showed up. He passed a senzu bean to Gohan who promptly left.

She needed some fresh air to clear the tension in her body. Chiri had a long wait until her match anyway so she made her excuses ("I need the loo. I'll be back soon.") and left after her brother, but instead she chose to leap up the side of the stadium stands and make herself comfortable there, sitting upon the top of the wall. From up here she could barely see much of the people down on the ring but at least she now had a different perspective and much more air to clear her mind.

The announcement went out for the Great Saiyaman and for Kibito's match to start and that for all those concerned, Videl was going to make a full recovery. The crowds clapped in respect for her, not wanting to have seen their former Junior Division champion and daughter of the Senior Division champion suffer in the way she had. It wasn't the outcome they'd expected but no one could fault her for not giving in. Clearly the unwavering spirit had been passed on from father to daughter.

Gohan and Kibito were quick to come out to the ring. Chiri sat up and kept her eyes focussed down on the ring, curious to see what would happen. Shin had scared Piccolo without having moved a muscle, so she was interested to see what Kibito could do. Too bad her brother would be unlikely to back down, no doubt determined to get into the second round to unleash some pain on Spopovich.

The surge in his energy terrified her. "Don't!" She cried out. "We said no Super Saiyan on the way here!" But she may as well have yelled it from half-way across the world because her brother had not only somehow lost half of his disguise, he'd also transformed into a Super Saiyan. His time at high school was surely now over, his cover blown. She could see it now; the reporters crawling all over their house, consuming them like some bloodthirsty tribe dead-bent on finding out every last secret of their family.

Two shadows lurched forward. Chiri's eyes widened, her limbs clenching and jerking her to a standing position before she'd even become aware of the thought. She watched as Spopovich grabbed hold of him in a bear-hug, Yamu launching something into her brother's ribs-

His scream shook her to her soul. She needed no time to think about it, she acted purely on instinct and love for her older brother. "GOHAN!" She screamed, dashing down above the crowds straight for the two imposters. Within a flash she'd slammed her fists down into Yamu's head, a swinging leg striking Spopovich off his feet and off her brother. Gohan himself collapsed to his knees, shrieking in pain with what seemed to be a jug sticking out of his side. Chiri landed beside him, eyes quickly darting from the bulkier fighter to the shorter one, fury surging through her veins.

Her body went stiff, suddenly shutting off any access she had to her energy reserves. Try as she might, Chiri couldn't break free from this paralysis, left wondering what had just happened to her. Before she could shout out, Kibito had grabbed hold of her and was pinning her to the ground, pressing down hard for extra measure. He needn't have bothered because no matter how much she struggled, the strange paralysis was easily overpowering her. Her eyes passed her brother and glanced back into the waiting area, wondering why no one was coming to her aid. None of them were even attempting to reach them; her father had Videl by the arms and was refusing to let her go despite her making it clear she was trying to help. What the heck was going on?

Her brother's cries died down. Yamu was slowly getting to his feet, shaking off the hit to the head he'd received. Within a flash he'd grabbed hold of the strange device stuck inside Gohan's torso, ripping it free and launching himself into the sky. Spopovich rose to his feet and followed, the two escaping without anyone to follow them because apparently, no one in the waiting area had considered chasing them.

Chiri was beyond furious when Kibito released her. Even when the paralysis suddenly left her body, she didn't know whether to rush into that room and punch whoever was responsible for that stupid decision not to intervene, or to rush over to see if her brother was really alright. The latter won out and she litrally collapsed by his side, shaking him by the shoulder. "Come on, Gohan. You can't be that far gone. You're better than that! What the hell were you even thinking, becoming a Super Saiyan? What happened?"

"Gohan!" Videl was making her way towards them, rushing up the steps onto the ring and falling beside Chiri. It took a moment for Chiri to remember the senzu beans had been used, so really it wasn't such a surprise to her to see Videl looking as fit and healthy as ever, sporting a new outfit no less. "Gohan, are you alright? Hey, get a stretcher over here! He's hurt!"

"No, it's alright," Chiri shook her head. "We still have those beans he gave you to make you better."

"Allow me," Kibito intervened, kneeling down onto one knee and resting a hand on Gohan's back. "I'll heal him."

"Oh hell no!" Chiri snapped, slapping his hand away, anger turning. "You idiot! Why'd you pin me to the ground when you could have helped? You're such a moron! You're not touching him!"

Goku had appeared at their side, looking rather annoyed by all of this. "Chiri. Let him heal your brother."

Chiri rose to her full height, not far off the bottom of her father's chin. "Oh, you're one to talk! What the hell did you do to try and help Gohan? Nothing, that's what! You just stood there like a statue and let Gohan have whatever it was sapped out of him! You've never been there to help us whenever we needed you! He's my brother and I love him more than you ever have! You've never been there for him when he needed it the most, not until it was too late! So if you think I'm going to listen to you then think again! Your opinion means nothing!"

"Enough!" Piccolo barked from the edge of the waiting room, Shin standing beside him looking concerned. She may not have liked her father telling her what to do but she respected Piccolo more. So she stepped aside, folding her arms in a terrible mood, eyes kept on her brother as Kibito cautiously placed a hand on his back once more.

"If you want answers then follow us," Goku muttered quietly, sounding much colder than before.

Shin took off, Piccolo not far behind him. Goku launched himself into the air, closely followed by Krillin and Vegeta.

Chiri kept her eyes on her brother. Kibito seemed to be reviving him, much like how Dende's abilities worked. She wanted answers but she wasn't going to leave her brother here with this man. She wanted to make sure he was truly better when the healing was finished. So against her father's suggestion, she stayed put.

"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Videl asked concerned.

"Don't worry," Kibito responded gruffly. "Gohan is not in mortal danger."

The off-colour tone too his skin was worrying but soon it'd faded, his life force suddenly flaring back to its usual self. Chiri breathed out a small sigh of relief as Gohan's arms moved, pushing himself off the tiles. "What happened?" He asked. "What's going on? Who are you, really?"

"The Kaioshin has left already with the others," Kibito rose to his full height. "Follow me if you wish to find out more."

"I'm going with you," Videl decided, ignoring the concerned looks both the Son teens gave her. "Look, there's so much I want to know. I'll follow you even if you say no!"

Chiri glanced up at her brother, wondering what he'd say to that. To be fair, if Gohan'd told her not to follow, she'd have followed anyway. However, Videl was nowhere near their league so her reservations were stronger for her coming along for the journey.

"… Alright," Gohan nodded in understanding, "but promise me you'll leave if things get too dangerous."

"Promise," Videl answered.

"Right, let's go then." Gohan decided, turning back to Kibito, who took to the skies. Gohan followed, closely followed by Videl and Chiri. The tournament ring quickly vanished behind them as the wind swept through their hair, freshening and waking Chiri up. She couldn't shake off a foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach and she knew whatever this was leading them towards was going to turn into a very dramatic chapter in her life.


	13. AoT Chapter 13

**AN:** Chapter progression has been very slow, I'm sorry to those of you who have been waiting patiently.

\- LilDBZBuddy89

* * *

 **Chapter 13 – The Aged Warlock**

"So what's going on? Why did Spopovich and Yamu do what they did to me?" Gohan asked, the wind rushing through his dark hair. The four of them were flying at a decent pace, unable to move much faster due to the demands it was having on one of their group.

"What did they do to him?" Chiri was also curious to know. "It felt like they sapped away your energy, kinda like how the androids used to."

Gohan shot her a look, Chiri wondering what she'd done wrong until she realised Videl was here and Videl had no idea who or what the androids were. Annoyed none-the-less, she decided it was better to keep quiet.

"Spopovich and Yamu were agents sent here to find pure energy," Kibito explained. "They work for a warlock the Kaioshin and I have been pursuing for some time, years far longer than your typical lifespan. Since the time the dominant native species on this planet were beginning to take their first steps, there lived a warlock named Bibidi."

"So is it this warlock they're working for?" Chiri couldn't help but cut in, forgetting her decision to stay quiet. "Geez this guy is ancient!"

"Chiri, don't interrupt," Gohan scowled. "Sorry, please continue."

Kibito gruffly cleared his throat. "Bibidi created a monster of which the universe had never seen before. He named this monster Majin Buu. This monster had no reason or emotion, he existed onto to destroy and cause pain. Within a few years, he'd destroyed thousands of planets. However, this monster was far too dangerous and ruthless to control; Bibidi struggled to maintain his hold on the monster and after much needless destruction and suffering, he had no choice but to seal him away. Whenever he needed a break, Bibidi would seal Buu up using his magic. After one such time, Bibidi travelled to Earth, his next target.

"You should also know that before Bibidi's time, there were a total of five Kaioshin. Four were killed by Buu. The last remaining Kaioshin – the one you saw before – was the final hurdle to pass for Bibidi. Fortunately, the Kaioshin killed Bibidi while Buu was still sealed, before he could be released to cause havoc on this planet. We thought that with Bibidi gone, Buu would remain dormant and unable to cause anyone harm."

"So why didn't you guys destroy Buu whilst he was in his seal?" Gohan asked.

"It was too risky a move to make," Kibito shook his head. "Could you imagine the horrors that would be caused if any attempt to destroy him would accidentally release Buu? There would be no one left to place the magical seal back on him… or so we thought. It turns out that Bibidi had a son. His name is Babidi… and he's here on Earth right now."

' _How long do these warlocks live for? That's insane!'_ Chiri mused to herself. Still, the idea that a warlock was looking to release his father's monster was insane. How old was this guy? How long did their species live for? Why was there suddenly someone else who had to go and ruin it for everyone else? What were the chances that the son would know how to unleash this creature his father had created? Maybe it would turn out that actually, he didn't know?

Chiri shook her head in pity. _'You idiot! Of course he's going to know!'_

"Wait, this still doesn't explain why Spopovich and Yamu took my energy," Gohan frowned. "Why did they need to attack me? And why was it me? Why not one of the others?"

"In order to resurrect Buu, Babidi will need a lot of energy as Buu has been sealed away for a long time," Kibito explained. "Babidi knew he'd be able to tap into a lot of pure power at the martial arts tournament, which is why he sent Yamu and Spopovich. I don't think even they realised just how much power they would be able to gain from such an event. Their opportunity arose when you transformed into a Super Saiyan on request, just as we anticipated."

"Wait? So you knew my brother was going to get attacked?" Chiri accused. "You deliberately set him up?"

"We needed to know the hiding place Babidi has been using." Kibito answered. "Every hundred years, the Kaioshin and myself check up to make sure that Buu's shell is in a place that cannot be accessed by the inhabitants on this planet but the last time we'd checked, it'd been moved. So we needed to know where Babidi had moved Buu's seal, which is why we had to wait for Spopovich and Yamu to attack." He paused and grimaced. "… We'll never catch up to the Kaioshin if we keep going at this pace. We must speed up."

"Right, hold on one second," Gohan drifted back a little, Chiri watching and realising that Videl was flagging behind them, eyes barely open with her arms shielding her. Curious, she too tagged back and made herself level with them. Gohan was saying something about the situation being far more dangerous than he'd initially anticipated.

"I guess I should," Videl was apparently agreeing, "… I couldn't possibly be of much help to you guys with what's happened and all. But before you go, can you answer me one thing?"

"Sure," Gohan nodded. "What is it?"

Videl hesitated. "… You were the Golden-haired boy in Satan City before, weren't you?"

Now it was Gohan's turn to mull his answer over, eventually nodding and quietly saying "Yes. I'm sorry I lied to everyone before, I just didn't want everyone to find out. I had to protect my family."

"I understand," Videl responded. "There was that beefed-up guy from a couple of weeks ago too, he also turned into some kind of golden fighter… which got me thinking about seven years ago." (Chiri gulped, wondering what her brother could say to deny this.) "… Those guys with the golden hair at the Cell Games; that was you guys, wasn't it?"

' _Think hard about this, big bro,"_ Chiri's eyes stayed peeled on her brother.

"… Yeah," Gohan confirmed.

"You was the little boy, weren't you? The one who was fighting Cell?" Videl asked, etching closer to him. "My dad didn't kill Cell, did he? It was you guys."

Gohan frowned. "… Well, I, uh…"

"I knew it," Videl released him from her glance. "I knew there was something not quite right about what Dad used to say… I'm glad I know the truth now and I'm only sorry things worked out the way they did."

"No, it's alright," Gohan was quick to counter, "After all, if your father hadn't taken credit, my family wouldn't have had much privacy and our lives would have been so much… worse…" He looked back at her, "…although I suppose that means it was your family that suffered from his fame instead, huh?" He turned away and faced his sister instead, something inside Chiri telling her something bad was about to happen. "I know you're not gonna be pleased about this but will you make sure Videl gets back to the tournament safely?"

Chiri's face dropped. "… You're serious?"

"I can get myself back there without any help," Videl was in agreement. "It's alright, from the sounds of things, you guys need all the help you can get."

"It's not just that," Gohan shook his head, "… One of us is gonna have to let her know."

Chiri's cross expression turned to one of horror. "You're seriously asking me to go back to let Mother know all this? Why can't Videl tell her?"

"Because someone didn't do as was asked of them a couple of weeks back when I asked them to do it," Gohan responded sternly, a mischevious smile creeping across his face. "It's not Videl's job to tell Mother what's going on." He leaned in closer. "Besides, after all she's been through today, I don't think Videl needs to see Mother's wrath. Take the fall, little sis."

Chiri was furious once again but she would agree that Videl had seen more than enough bloodshed for one day and was unlikely to be able to handle their mother in one of her moods. "… Fine." She hissed through gritted teeth.

So Kibito and Gohan both raced ahead, leaving the two girls behind. As soon as they'd vanished beyond the horizon, Chiri spun to face Videl. "Ok, here's how this is going to happen. I'm going to follow them and you're going to go back to tell everyone we know what's going on."

"Hey!" Videl burrowed her eyebrows. "Your brother told you to take me back to the tournament!"

"Whatever happened to 'I can get myself back without any help'?" Chiri countered. "Come on, you know as well as I do that they will need more help than what they've already got!"

Videl opened her mouth. She stopped. She faltered, her eyes rolling back into her sockets. Chiri caught her just as her body went limp, now supporting the older teen with little difficulty. The younger teen huffed loudly, "Damn it, why'd you have to pass out now?" She had no other option but to take Videl back to the tournament grounds and leave her in the company of the others. Why did things have to turn out this way?

Shifting Videl over her shoulder wasn't as easy as she'd hoped but Chiri managed it, holding onto both her wrists to keep her from falling off. Reluctantly she turned and faced the direction they'd flown from, returning back to the tournament grounds.

The journey itself took just over ten minutes until the island reappeared in the distance. As they drew closer, Chiri could feel her heart starting to beat harder. She was going to have to tell the others what was going on and she wasn't going to enjoy this… Until two specks appeared on the horizon, heading straight up from the island. Chiri groaned and slowed to a stop, spotting Goten waving at her. "Chiri!"

"What?" She loudly responded back, the two kids stopping centimetres from her position. Both seemed to have obtained some extra clothing from somewhere, now shredded to pieces and in the process of being discarded. "What do you guys want?"

"We were gonna ask you where everyone else flew off to?" Trunks answered, looking particularly hacked off.

"What happened to Videl?" Goten asked, noticing the older teen slouched over Chiri's back.

So Chiri filled the two in on what was happening far from where they were, why Gohan had been attacked, why it was important the warlock Babidi was stopped and what would probably happen if Buu was released according to Kibito. As she spoke, an idea popped into her head. "… So I have an important job for you two to do."

But neither Trunks nor Goten seemed interested in her words anymore; both were staring in amazement at the other, eyes wide with excitement. "This sound awesome!" Trunks cried.

"It's so cool!" Goten agreed sounding just as eager.

"Hey, listen you two!" Chiri barked. "You guys need to go and take Videl back down to the adults and make sure she's taken care of. I need to go and chase after the others."

Trunks snorted, "No way, you're not going to dump a lousy job like that on us!"

"Why not?" Chiri grumbled. "Gohan dumped this deadweight on me! It's how the hierarchy of siblings works – hey!"

The two boys had shot off towards the direction Chiri had just come from, neither interested in her yelling or calls for them to come back. "Damn you both!" Chiri screamed in frustration. "I hope you guys get yelled at when your dads find you sneaking around like losers!"

This was so unfair! Chiri grumbled several curse words under her breath as she continued her journey towards the island, lowering herself down towards the main stadium where her mother and the others would be found. The gentle rumble of the crowds warned her that something was still going on, or had just ended. Mr Satan stood in the centre of the ring with the announcer holding one of his hands up, the crowds around them cheering and whistling. Chiri raised an eyebrow; was it over already?

Deciding to land somewhere discreet, she overshot the main stadium and landed on top of one of the buildings, letting Videl drop safely onto the tiles and taking a couple of steps away from her. Finding her mother and the others was not going to be an easy task, especially with all these people here. Finding their life force signals was going to be easier said than done. Nevertheless Chiri closed her eyes and focused her attention on sensing out any familiar ki. Given the people that'd been left behind, perhaps Yamcha was the best candidate to go for.

Something shifted, dragging her screaming back to reality. Videl had gotten onto her feet and was now dusting herself off. "Geez, you could have made me more comfortable, you know!"

"I thought you were asleep or unconscious!" Chiri stammered wide-eyed.

"Nope," Videl grinned looking smug with herself. "Just apparently good enough an actor to fool you!"

Chiri stared dumbfounded at her, jaw dropped in shock. She'd just been tricked by her brother's unofficial girlfriend?

"Can you find them so we can go?" Videl asked seemingly indifferent to the struggle going on in Chiri's brain. "Your friends, you guys seem to be able to know where they are. How, I don't know, nor do I care right now. You heard what Gohan said."

"I'm not taking instructions from a woman who just tricked me!" Chiri spat. "Go find them yourself! You really didn't need my help getting back here but you took advantage of it anyway!"

Something made her stop, Chiri feeling a sharp sensation of cold strike her. Her eyes immediately shot towards the main stadium, baffled by what she sensed. They were back already? _'But… how did they do that?'_ One minute they were ages away, the next they were suddenly back here in the stadium grounds!

"What's wrong?" Videl asked, weirded out by the sudden change in Chiri's expression. "You're starting to creep me out."

"They're here," Chiri muttered, ascending into the air and towards the stands. Why were her dad, Vegeta, Gohan and Kaioshin here? More to the point, why weren't Piccolo, Krillin or Kibito here? She couldn't detect any of them. Getting closer, she landed upon the top of the wall supporting the main structure of the stands, peering down towards the ring. Indeed the four of them stood in the centre, alongside Mr Satan and the announcer. For some strange reason, Vegeta was revving up his energy, stuck in his Super Saiyan form.

Chiri's breath hitched in her throat. _'Why does Vegeta's ki feel different, like…? It's like Yamu and Spopovich's energy!'_

Vegeta had extended a hand out.

Chiri had a split second to react before her chunk of the stadium went up in a terrific explosion, throwing her back several feet through the air. She steadied herself and stared in horror as the part of the stand she'd once stood on collapsed, no doubt killing and trapping hundreds of spectators. "What has he done?" She whispered, voice rising in pitch. "What the hell just happened?"

Another shot was fired, this one towards the other end of the stadium. By now the entire stadium was in a mass panic, people scurrying about for safety, trying anything desperately to get away from the grounds. Chiri checked to see Videl still standing below where she'd left her, trying to defend herself from the strong gusts of energy being let off by each explosion. Hoping she wouldn't get herself into anymore danger, Chiri dashed forward towards the ring but was too late; the group suddenly vanished as quickly as they'd arrived. Infuriated with her luck, she screamed out as loudly as she could, trying not to let off a few energy attacks of her own.

Her mother. Oh dear god, her mother. Chiri scanned the masses of people trying to latch onto Yamcha's energy, spotting it quickly. With it in her mind's eye, she dashed down towards one of the destroyed stands, spotting their group stood at the top leaning over one of the gangways. Everyone appeared to be here, much to her relief. Yamcha and Master Roshi had spotted her approach and greeted her as she landed.

"Boy are we glad to see you," Yamcha sighed. "Look, what's going on? Why did your dad and everyone else suddenly just appear and disappear like that?"

"I know as much as you do on that one," Chiri frowned. "Listen, we'll talk later but we need to get ourselves to a more private spot to have this conversation." She could see out of the corner of her eye, Bulma had fallen to the ground with her eyes closed, silent. Her mother had gone to support her, keeping her in a sitting position. The dark haired woman nudged Bulma gently, making Bulma gently open her eyes.

"Come on, we need to go," Chichi ushered her, slowly rising alongside the Capsule Corp heiress and walking her along the gangway, the rest of the group following.

* * *

Yamcha had agreed to fly the craft. Inside and now in the safety and privacy of their own craft, the remains of the group were coming to terms with what they'd just witnessed. Chiri had been patient and had even gone back to make sure Videl was alright. Videl had wanted to stick with the rest of the group and so had tagged along for the ride, sitting rather awkwardly next to Chichi. Chiri then went on to explain everything she'd been told by Kibito.

"I want to get the Dragonballs," Bulma had decided.

"You sure we have enough time to collect them?" Yamcha asked.

"It'd probably be for the best," Master Roshi cut in grimly. "Chances are we're going to need to summon them together anyway at this rate…"

Chiri's head bolted upright, another shock of cold striking her. She dared not say anything and hoped that no one had noticed her, what with sitting at the back of the craft with her grandfather. But unfortunately the aging Ox King had noticed and ushered closer to his only granddaughter. "What's wrong?"

"… Nothing, I don't think," Chiri answered too quickly, causing him to be all the more suspicious. She couldn't say anything. Instead she rose to her feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" her mother was hot on her heels. "Don't think I'm letting you run off like both of your brothers – you're staying with us!"

"Chiri, I'd listen to Chichi," Videl agreed. Chiri suspected that Videl was now trying to win points with Chichi. Well regardless of that, Chiri knew she had to go. So she ignored both of their warnings, ignored the looks everyone was giving her and opened the back passage of the craft, causing several of those in the aircraft to shriek in horror against the sudden buffet of wind. With one quick motion she left out, too quick to be caught by the emergency switch Yamcha had flicked to close the doors of the craft again. She was free, flying on her own accord, speeding away from their aircraft as fast as she could, towards the area where she could sense the fight that was taking place. They weren't too far away and besides, she had to confirm this for herself.

There was no way Gohan was dead.


	14. AoT chapter 14

**AN:** Apologies for the slow updates. I hit a rut and couldn't find the motivation to do much in the way of writing or drawing. The story takes a bit of a different path from the original story...

-LilDBZBuddy89

* * *

 **Chapter 14 – Majin Revival**

At full pelt, she reached the area in five minutes but good sense told her to fly incredibly slowly for the final approach. She didn't want to alert anyone to her presence unnecessarily after all. _'Think like an android,'_ she told herself, touching down at the scene of the crime. The area was full of mesas and dirt, little to no shrubbery or plant-life visible. It was hard to tell if that was because of the battle or the natural climate of the area. This was the last place she'd sensed her brother before his ki signal had vanished. She wasn't going to jump to conclusions, she was going to assume it'd had become undetectable and that it wasn't because he'd been killed.

Chiri tiptoed around as quietly as she could, spotting two grey things down below. Almost immediately after that, she caught a glance of Trunks and Goten, who'd also noticed the two grey things. On closer inspections, they looked like statues. They seemed out-of-place to her: why would there be statues in a place like this? Had the two boys found them and brought them here? Speaking of those two, why had they thought being here was a good idea when it was better that she be the one to investigate? Chiri was older, smarter and far stronger than those two put together, she concluded, so it was only right she be the one to call dibs on investigating the area, especially if it was as dangerous as she feared. Feeling strangely childish and wanting to make the two boys suffer for abandoning her before, Chiri silently floated down towards the two children, landing silently, inches behind Trunks. She took in a small breath and hollered at the top of her lungs, "Boo!"

The sudden loud noise and her grabbing his shoulders made Trunks scream loudly, knocking against one of the statues, which overbalanced and crashed to the ground, shattering into several pieces. Her little brother had also screamed but had been fortunate enough not to bump into anything, the two children looking absolutely petrified as Chiri laughed at them.

"Th-That wasn't funny!" Trunks snapped, red as bright as a tomato.

"Big sis, I'm telling Mother!" Goten protested through his sister's chortles. "Whoa… Trunks, you broke the Piccolo."

"Oh no!" Trunks gasped, eyes fixating back on the ruined stone that, now she looked at it, seemed to be a great replica of Piccolo. Chiri folded her arms feeling smug. "Well that's what you get for leaving one of your seniors to go off and mess around. Oh it'll be fine, Trunks. Your mother and grandparents are loaded so it's not like paying for the statue is going to be a problem."

"I-I guess," Trunks was still shaken. "Do you think they heard us up here?"

"N-No, they haven't looked this way," Goten shook his head, cowering behind a nearby rock and occasionally peering over it.

Chiri was confused. She glanced over in the direction her little brother was looking in. Her heart nearly pole-vaulted out of her mouth as she realised there were others down below. She hurriedly ducked down, watching the small group, trying to make out if she recognised any of them. There were four below, all of varying heights. The shortest seemed to be wearing some kind of orange jacket and was berating the tallest of the group, a being with red skin and blue clothing. Neither of them were human, Chiri was certain of that. Both had bizarre ki; the taller, red-skinned fighter's ki was gigantic and had that same stench of unnatural power, the same that marred Spopovich and Yamu's life forces. Come to think of it, where were those two? Neither were present and she couldn't sense them. _'Does it really matter right now? You know the one on the floor!'_ The third was lying at the feet of the first, sprawled out across the dusty ground. The Kaioshin – or Shin as he'd preferred to be known as at the tournament. He looked like he was in a bad way.

"How long have these guys been here?" She whispered to the others.

"Before we got here," Came Trunks' reply. "The big fat one was fighting with that guy on the floor, and the red guy too."

The fat one was the fourth fighter and was the one who worried Chiri the most. His appearance was very deceptive, her brain told her that much. His ki was ridiculously powerful, more-so than the red-skinned man – and Chiri would have rated the red-skinned man to have been on par with Cell or Bojack or Broly at full power. He seemed dangerous… and yet this pink creature was making her mind scream for her to run. A lump formed in her throat as a small voice told her that this was the being that had given her brother trouble. This was the being who'd sent off a shocking amount of life force just before her brother's had become undetectable.

"Sis, what should we do?" Goten asked worried.

Chiri contemplated this for a moment. "Well… the guy from the tournament's really important. He's the Kaioshin - I'll explain later," she added, looking at the confused looks on the boys' faces, "right now we just need to rescue him from those guys."

"How do you think we're going to do that?" Trunks snorted. "Besides, Dad and Gohan and the others will arrive soon, won't they?"

Chiri shot a crafty eye towards the lavender-haired child. "Huh. Is Trunks scared? That's a first."

"N-No, I'm not scared!" Trunks protested flustered. "I just mean it seems stupid for us to do any work when my dad and Gohan are more than capable of doing it. They'll be here soon, wherever they are, I know it!"

"But why aren't they with the Shin-man now?" Goten asked still sounding nervous. "They all flew away with him so where have they gone?"

"If you're really that worried about it then stay here, both of you," Chiri'd had enough. She leapt over the top of the outcrop, descending quietly and landing on a lower level of rock, still overlooking the barren wasteland and the small huddle of mystery fighters. Ignoring Goten's hissed objections, she ran to the right, keeping a distance and scanning the perimeter, trying to keep out of sight. She didn't have a clear idea in her head and was hoping something'd come to her whilst she was on the move. The red-skinned guy, she could take him with the condition he was now in. The problem was the other two; the pink guy was going to be a challenge and she knew nothing about the short guy. His life force seemed feebly weak… so maybe this man was the warlock Kibito had told them about?

Suddenly the two taller fighters were at each other's throats with the pink blob dominating the slender red man. The latter's stamina was dropping rapidly, he was close to his limit from what Chiri could tell as she continued to skirt the perimeter, now in a position out of their sight. The two fighters were slowly making their way from the other two but grabbing the Kaioshin whilst the short man was standing over him was going to be tricky, especially if he really was who Chiri suspected him to be. She stopped and leaned over the outcrop, trying to gain more information about the immediate surroundings and judge the best plan of attack. All she'd come up with was charging in, possibly kicking the shortest guy out of the way, grabbing the Kaioshin and hot-tailing it as fast as she could. But that would mean leaving Goten and Trunks behind. As much of a pain they were, her older sister instinct was kicking in, shouting at her to not leave the boys in such a dangerous place. _'Damn it, now I feel responsible for them!'_ Another look, swallowing down the lump threatening to choke her, Chiri hitched herself forward and prepared to jump in –

A bolt of light shot from the pink man's head, striking the red man dead-on. The feel of it was unfamiliar to her; it wasn't a ki attack. It was magic! Chiri's jaw dropped, her resolve wavered as the strange light engulfed the red man. His body turned rigid as his life force vanished and in a flash of smoke, he was suddenly a giant biscuit!

She didn't think her jaw could reach the floor but apparently it could.

The large pink being made its way over towards the fallen biscuit, picked it up with its stumpy arms and devoured the entire biscuit – and it wasn't as if it'd shrunk any – into its mouth in one bite.

' _What kind of power is that?'_ Chiri was flabbergasted, horrified at what she'd just witnessed. _'Who turns people into food?'_

The little alien was shrieking at the top of his voice, his hoarse tones irritating her ears. He was shouting something about boo and eating, which rang alarm bells in her head. Boo… as in the monster this Babidi guy was trying to revive? Her thoughts were cut short as Krillin and Piccolo's life forces suddenly shot back into existence, her head spun back towards the spot Goten and Trunks were around. At least she knew there were some adults around so they could be responsible for the two boys.

"Now, Buu," The tiny alien's voice carried on the wind, "Turn the Kaioshin into a cookie or a cake! Whatever you want! Eat the Kaioshin!"

She had to act now and ignore the multiple revelations that'd just happened. Chiri jolted forwards from her perch, shooting low and barely skimming the ground below. Within a flash she was within their grasp and then gone, the Kaioshin successfully snatched away from the tiny alien's reach. Taking one glance back, she could see the tiny alien shrieking in anger-

A shockwave threw her forward as a gigantic, unexpected explosion shook the ground. Chiri's feet rolled over her head and she turned, losing control of her flight and losing her grip on the Kaioshin as the confusion and blinding light struck. She bounced hard off the ground, landing more steadily the second time and turning to face the explosion, a large dome of light slowly fading away. Through the light spots now scattered across her view, she could make out a dark plume of smoke rising from the ground, a large hole now standing where the epicentre had been.

A figure had appeared in the dust and descended, landing upon the dirt a few metres from the giant pink creature and the tiny, green-skinned alien. Chiri stumbled in disbelief as she rose to her feet, surprised to see Vegeta standing before them. Part of her was on guard; memories of him destroying and killing bystanders in the stadium having occurred under an hour ago.

Things seemed to be falling into place; she assumed that this pink creature was Majin Buu, the monster the Kaioshin and Kibito had warned them about. That meant that surely the tiny alien barking orders and currently screaming at Vegeta for blowing up his ship was Babidi, unless she'd missed some important information. Her eyes turned away from the bickering and scanned the ground for the Kaioshin, spotting him several feet away. Taking another quick glance over at the others, she cautiously made her way over towards him, her gentle jog breaking into a run the closer she got. Chiri fell to her knees as she reached him, cautious as to whether it was alright to shake the Kaioshin gently on the shoulder or if she'd get told off for that. Common sense kicked in and she gently laid a hand on him, "Kaioshin, sir? Are you still with us?" It felt odd making contact with a deity but deity or not, she needed to check to see if he was still conscious. His life force felt as if it'd taken a beating.

His face twitched and a groan gurgled in his throat, which brought a sense of relief to Chiri. He looked as if he were struggling. "… G… Get… away…!"

"No can do, sir," Chiri shook her head, "Come on, I'll get you to someone who can heal you." She wanted to stay, really, she did. However, given his current condition and her speed, she was the one best-suited to getting the Kaioshin to a safe location, away from the danger. So she carefully picked him up and placed the Kaioshin over her shoulder. One more glance towards Vegeta and the others, another towards where she knew Goten, Trunks, Piccolo and Krillin were standing. Then they were off, her feet left the ground, sad to be leaving the battlefield. The sky opened up to them, the ground spreading below them.

The journey was fraught with confusion and worry. Along the way, she could sense a battle taking place, Vegeta's ki fluctuating alongside the monstrous Buu. His power was staggering, she couldn't believe just how bizarre it now felt to sense. What the hell had gone on when the others had gone to investigate Babidi's hiding place? Why had he gone and attacked all those people, killing them within an instant? She'd never fully trusted Vegeta but then again, she'd never seen him kill innocent bystanders. Several times he seemed to be dominating Buu judging by his ki but Buu's stamina didn't seem to be falling at all. It left her feeling anxious about the future… and with her brother gone… if he was gone.

' _No, don't do it,'_ She shook her head free of anything that dared to fall from her eyes, brow falling and furrowing in her forehead. No, she wasn't going to think the worst. He could hide his ki after all – she'd picked that skill up from him. He had to be hiding it, that could be the only explanation… even if she had felt it decrease rapidly after having risen so far.

It was around twenty minutes before they reached the base of the tower, Chiri having needed to power up to get here as quick as she had. The Kaioshin's health seemed to be deteriorating so it was such a relief to see the tower climbing ahead of them. She changed the arc of her direction to a sharp incline, following the line up through the sky, past the clouds and eventually past the top of Korin Tower, shooting past Korin without uttering a word, eyes still on the tiny speck above. Quickly the lookout came into view and with a final push, Chiri slowed and tapped down upon the white tiles.

Immediately, Dende and Mr Popo were rushing over. Chiri unloaded the Kaioshin from her back and was careful to lay him gently down upon the floor. The grimace of pain across his face was a good indication that he hadn't slipped between the land of the living and afterlife. Dende was there, kneeling over the deity focusing his powers upon him, the Namekian's hands glowing with the energy required to replenish. Within a few seconds, the Kaioshin's scars and battle damage was fading, his skin replenished alongside his life force. When his work was completed, Dende took a cautious step backwards, looking rather bashful. The Kaioshin stirred, then suddenly jolted bolt upright, sitting and glancing around at his surroundings.

"Thank goodness, you're ok," Dende flustered.

"Where is Majin Buu?" Kaioshin asked. "What is this place?"

"I bought you to the lookout where the guardian of this planet lives," Chiri smiled, "he healed you so now you should be good as new."

But the Kaioshin didn't appear to be listening, instead he paced feverently along the perimeter of the lookout floor, glancing down upon the world below looking troubled. He seemed to be searching…

A tiny speck of light illuminated the distance towards the south, catching Chiri's eye. Her breath caught in her throat as she suddenly felt a life force be extinguished from existence, heart beating wildly against her ribs. The light grew brighter and brighter, the wind slowly picking up down below, even forcing the clouds to move in their direction and slip below the lookout. Then a small current reached them, flicking her fringe across her face as she stared in shock.

Vegeta was dead.

"Another one…" Mr Popo frowned, looking troubled.

"… It's that being of darkness down below," Dende's voice quivered. "The monster that Babidi has come to release… Poor Vegeta."

Chiri didn't know what to say, still in shock even with the wind dying down and the light fading on the horizon. Her heart went out to the members of the Brief family having lost a father and a partner – then immediately she recalled who else was there. "Oh no – Goten!" Panicked, she searched out for her little brother's ki signal, finding it difficult to locate anything in the static and the sheer saturation of ki in the atmosphere. She tried to see through it, tried to pick out the parts that weren't remnants of Vegeta's energy sphere.

"They're ok," Dende cut through her thoughts. "Piccolo and Krillin are headed this way with the two children." Regardless of this, Chiri continued to search for her brother's energy, needing to be able to sense it herself before she could rest assured.

"I'm sorry but I must cut my visit short," The Kaioshin apologised. "There is very little time but I think I may have a way to find the light in this darkness."

Chiri sighed in relief, finding a trace of her little brother's life force. That was enough reassurance for her.

"Farewell," The Kaioshin gave a small wave before launching himself gracefully from the edge of the lookout.

"I wonder what he had in mind…" Dende mused.

* * *

It didn't take long for Chiri to fill the two in on what'd happened so far. As she'd been finishing things up, Piccolo and Krillin arrived with Goten and Trunks in tow. Both children appeared to be sleeping. Krillin quickly explained the two had been knocked out by Vegeta and would be fine after a short sleep. He and Mr Popo headed into the palace to find a more comfortable place for the two children, leaving Chiri, Piccolo and Dende to watch over what was happening down below.

"Any news on Goku's whereabouts?" Piccolo asked.

"He should still be in this world," Dende explained, "I've had no indication he's been taken back to Otherworld."

Piccolo's eyes narrowed. "What a mess. No sign of Goku anywhere and now we're down two of our stronger fighters of this world… Things are looking grim. This Majin Buu creature appears to be unstoppable… the only hope we have is a slim one… we can only hope that now Babidi finds Buu too unruly to control and is forced to seal him up."

"Like that's gonna happen," Chiri frowned.

"We should prepare for the worst," Piccolo continued. "If Goku really is gone – and he won't be here for much longer if he's still in this realm – and if we've also lost Vegeta and Gohan then… there may not be much more we can do."

"Don't say that!" Chiri protested. "Don't be such a downer, Piccolo!"

"I'm merely being realistic," Piccolo responded. "Only a fool would suggest otherwise. As things stand, none of us can hold a hope in defeating Buu. He's too powerful, too resilient. Not even an attack full of all of Vegeta's power could silence him; he simply regenerated back from ashes!"

Chiri bit her lip in concentration. "… But there has to be something we can do. Maybe we can collect the Dragonballs and – oh! That's it! It's perfect!" She continued, much to the confusion of the two Namekians standing beside her. "Bulma and the others are all gonna collect the Dragonballs because they saw Vegeta kill all those innocent people! We can just wish back Vegeta and Gohan and then try again!"

"Think about what you're saying," Piccolo interjected.

"I know both of them lost this time but they could just go into the Room of Spirit and Time and train to get stronger," Chiri butted in.

"That's not what I'm getting at!" Piccolo snapped. "If you use a wish to bring back those killed by Vegeta then it leaves one more with to be used to bring back Gohan and Vegeta – we'd have to wait an entire year before the Dragonballs could be used again and there's no chance we'd be able to bring back anyone else who ends up being killed during that day's wait."

Chiri's face dropped. "…Oh. Yeah. How annoying."

"You'd have to word it in a way that would bring them both back too," Dende frowned. "You can't ask Shenron to bring back all those killed in the last twenty-four hours because that would also bring back the warriors Goku, Gohan, Vegeta and the Kaioshin had to fight to get through Babidi's ship. I've been watching from all the way up here." He added the last sentence to the relief of the confused faces surrounding him.

Something large erupted far away, catching Chiri and Piccolo's attentions. Both turned to face the east, eyes widening in shock.

"What… How?" Piccolo was flabbergasted.

How indeed. He was supposed to be dead!


	15. AoT Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – A Deadly Re-encounter.**

"That's impossible!" Dende stammered. "I thought that… but it is, I can see him now!"

"How did he survive?" Piccolo cried horrified. "Damn it, what bad timing. This is turning out to be an utterly disastrous day!"

Chiri's eyes were pinned to the spot far to the east, the spot they'd felt an unusually high bolt of energy appear. She was so engrossed, she didn't even notice Krillin and Mr Popo both rushing out of the palace towards them. She didn't register Krillin's verbal confusion, she didn't hear Dende's concerns. Part of the reason she didn't hear was because of how fixated she was on the ki in the distance. The other part of the reason she didn't hear was because she'd thrown herself towards it, launching clean off the lookout tower and through the frigid winds. At this moment in time, no one else was around, no one else who was capable of standing up to him.

Could she?

That was a thought she quickly put to the back of her mind. Last time didn't fare so well but to be fair, it didn't turn out the way she'd planned. She hadn't been at her best, her intentions meddled with the fight and unfortunately for her, what she'd anticipated hadn't come to fruition. This time it would be different. She was on her own, no one to interfere or to falsely rely on… no one to help if she found herself overwhelmed.

They had to take big risks if they were going to get out of this alive. Having Majin Buu and Broly roaming about the planet didn't bare thinking of. She couldn't stand there and be passive, she had to at least try to make a difference… somehow. How, she wasn't sure. With her brother and Vegeta both out of the equation and her father M.I.A., it came down to her.

It took a further twenty minutes before she changed her flight pattern, coming to a slow drift so as not to alert the Saiyan of her presence. In the distance she could sense Buu and Babidi travelling, nowhere near their location. Perhaps this was a positive thing; at least she knew she wouldn't be ganged up on.

The scenery below them was dense with woodland, something that perhaps would give her a good cover. Descending down into the trees, she landed upon the ground amongst a group of tangled roots. Her heart was going wild in her ribs. _'Come on, heart. Don't do this to me now…'_ She had good reason to be nervous of the energy not too far from her but she was the only one still in decent condition to fight him. She couldn't let Broly ravage the planet alongside Buu – and she knew she'd stand a much better chance against this fighter. Last time, she'd put her faith in Gohan. She didn't have that option now.

Sneaking through the shrubbery, Chiri kept her eyes and ears peeled for movement. The forest was eerily quiet, no doubt the indigenous species had sensed the dangers coming and had fled to safety. If anything, she'd have preferred the reassuring and relaxing sounds of songbirds and deer calls. The silence meant she could hear her body's reactions to the imminent danger which was doing her nerve no good. The sound of a twig snapping made her jump out of her skin. Her eyes darted around and then down, lips curling to a frown when she realised the snapped twig was under her own foot. _'I really need to calm down.'_

Broly was on the move, suddenly launching further away from her. Torn between staying safe and following him, Chiri reluctantly pursued her target, leaping through the trees and dashing through the dense forest, dodging tree bark with adept ease. The floor below gave way to a crevice, suddenly putting her into an open space as the treetops dropped dramatically below her. She floated across the crevice, eyes peeled on her surroundings.

He was quick.

She was quicker.

Chiri launched herself towards the dark shadows below, dodging Broly's incoming fist. Had he known she was following him or had she just unwittingly fallen into a trap? Neither mattered as now the legendary Saiyan was hot on her heels, chasing her down further between the two rocky walls. Chiri fired off an energy attack, which he easily deflected. She fired off several more, feet bouncing off the cool floor of the rocky bed, the remains of glacial activity in the planet's past. Broly flew through her attacks, letting them bounce off him in defiance. Instantly he was there before her, Chiri taking a large jump backwards. "Can't catch me, slow-poke!"

Broly reacted, dashing towards her. Again she dodged with ease, leaping back into the air and up the sides of the cliffs.

A green light shimmered around Broly's body, engulfing him in a dazzling display as his energy erupted. On his signal, Chiri burst into her Super Saiyan form, aura dancing around her body. She was going to be ready for him this time, she wasn't going to take any chances. She dashed down, ignoring the rate his ki was ascending and with one fell swoop, her fist connected with his face, Broly's neck tilting his head under the force. Chiri drove her knee into his chin before slamming both fists between his eyes. Still not getting a response, Chiri repeatedly slammed her feet onto his face, stomping as fast as she could. Her ankle was caught in his large hands, Broly roaring with annoyance as he threw her hard, Chiri bashing into the side of the ravine wall, plunging through the rocky column. Amidst the dark shadows of the crumbling earth, she could see him launching towards her. A mass of confusion and pain followed, several areas of her body suddenly screaming out in pain before she reacted, expelling her energy outwards and forcing space between her and the rock, destroying a large part of the cliff face.

They were locked in hand-to-hand combat, Broly's wild and heavy punches barely being parried by Chiri's relatively small fists. His anger seemed to be feeding his strength, keeping her on the back foot and keeping him in control of the fight. She needed to up her game now before it was too late. She had to get him to fall back to give her enough chance to focus but right now, he was making that achievement very difficult. It became far harder when his fist connected with her stomach, Chiri hitting an unbroken part of the rocky wall and forming her own print before sliding down, Broly kicking her high up into the air and through the rocks yet again. Chiri sprung through the top of the cliff, slamming into a couple of trees before coming to an abrupt halt. Chiri fell onto her hands and knees, short of breath and riding out the strong stinging in her back. Now was as good a time as any but her body wasn't in the best position for her to concentrate, lacking in control and comfort. Standing up against this, Chiri barely dodged Broly's incoming fist, leaping up into a tree and jumping from branch to branch away from him. Broly pursued, much to her annoyance. She had to increase the space between them but at this rate…

Broly roared out and fired off an energy ball, Chiri dodging the explosion as one tree shielded her, falling in a blaze. Broly fired again and again, turning the thick bush into a barrage of explosions, all strong enough to seriously injure Chiri if she wasn't careful. Baring her teeth and growing tired of being chased, Chiri countered back with her own energy attacks, trying to counter and block Broly's attacks with her own. The strategy had some kind of success – until she slammed head-first into a particularly thick trunk. She crashed onto the ground, dazed from the unexpected strike, completely vulnerable to Broly's energy attacks. The surrounding area went up in a barrage of explosions, destroying the immediate forest and reducing it to smoking wasteland.

The Legendary Super Saiyan grinned in pleasure at the sight, descending down towards the ground to find his prey. The smile slowly faded as the smoke cleared, revealing that Chiri was on her feet. Something strange seemed to have happened to her hair, which now stood up further than before. What's more, there was electricity dancing around her body, something that perplexed the older Saiyan.

In a flash her fist was lodged into his chin, Broly shooting surprisingly quickly up into the sky. She was there, ready to slam her heel into his spine and send him catapulting down to the ground below, disappearing in an explosion of rock and debris. Darting down towards the rubble, Chiri dove through the rocky surface, snatching hold of something soft and ripping it from its position amongst the rocks. It wasn't easy but with one fell swing, she unearthed the Legendary Super Saiyan, tossing him high into the sky despite his bulk. Still on the pursuit, she drew one hand back, charging up an intense ki blast. With a roar, Chiri launched the source of energy towards her target, the ball of concentrated energy gaining on him in mere seconds and erupting with an almighty flash of light. The area was engulfed in pure light, the noise of the explosion deafening as rubble and smoke danced through the brightened skies.

Chiri kept her eyes peeled on the spot, eyes following as a mass fell uncontrolled towards the ground. His ki had taken a knock but she knew it would take far more than that to take him down. She only held regret for their last meeting, not having finished him off herself and having left it in the hands of her brother. Her aura burned bright around her, facial features having sharpened from the transformation she'd undergone.

In the distance, Broly landed on the ground with a thud, chucking up dust and dirt into the light breeze. Chiri slowly walked towards him, she had a few hundred metres to cover but was in no particular hurry. About half-way there, he stirred and rose to his feet; this did not deter her. The electricity dancing around her body intensified further, a glint in her eye potentially going unnoticed by the bulky Saiyan opposite, who had now turned to face her direction. He hunched down a little, drawing one hand forward as if daring her to take it head-on. She would oblige gladly to show just how much difference there was between them.

The green tint of light flashed from his outstretched palm, lighting up the shrinking distance of ground between them. The blast was slow but it was dangerous; she would have to be careful so as not to upset it. Stopping in her casual stride, she outstretched her hands and widened her stance, digging her feet into the dirt. Bracing for impact, Chiri clenched, held as the blast made contact. The force behind it was commendable, she expected nothing less from him. But he was naïve if he thought she would be killed by an attack of this magnitude.

Chiri's eyes widened, her head shot up, jaw dropping when she spotted him above her, another ki blast shooting towards her. She didn't have time to adjust to hold off both attacks – and chances were even if she did, one would overpower her and force her to take the eruption along with any damage caused to the planet below her.

The ground tore apart as a deep heat surrounded her.

Piccolo's eyes widened, the tall Namekian spun on the spot in shock. "Is that?"

"Chiri's energy just took a nosedive!" Krillin gasped anxiously. "This is bad. Not only do we no longer have Gohan and Vegeta to fight against Buu – or Broly – but Goku's still missing, too! Man we could do with his help right now!"

"Wishing for it won't make it come true," Piccolo frowned, brows settling back into their default positions. "… Not even the Dragonballs could bring him back, no matter how much we wanted it."

"There must be something we can do?" Dende protested. "We can't leave her down there all alone. Broly is too much for her, even if she's a Super Saiyan Two."

"No, there isn't a single thing we can do," Piccolo shook his head. "… He was an almost impossible opponent last time, it took all we had to take him down… and even then, he still somehow survived. Worst part is, he's a full-blooded Saiyan – and we know what happens to Saiyans when they're met with a near-death situation… It's hopeless."

Krillin's shoulders dropped. "… Yeah," he shivered. "Whatever doesn't kill them makes them stronger…" He hated how insignificant his abilities were. He hated that after having already lost Gohan and Vegeta and Goku, they were fast running out of warriors with Saiyan blood. Something about that little group seemed to make him feel safer, knowing the bizarre, insane new heights Goku seemed to lead them to… and it wasn't like he was alive to lead them there.

Mr Popo glanced to his right, having sensed a new presence.

Piccolo gasped, spinning around once more in shock.

The rubble was raining down somewhere above her, clattering against the rocks on top of her. Dust had settled into her lungs making it hard for her to breathe, least of all helped by the lack of oxygen her hovel was providing her with.

" _Hello, Earthlings!"_

Chiri released a choke, baffled and surprised to be hearing a voice loud-and-clear in her mind, knowing this was not her own doing. Who was this? Or was she suddenly over the wrong side of madness?

" _Do not be alarmed – not yet. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the great wizard, Babidi. If you close your eyes, you will be able to see me in your minds. Yes, that's it. I'm the handsome fellow you see before you."_

Chiri humoured him and pulled a face as his image burned into her mind's eye. A bug-eyed, pale grunge-skinned alien was communicating with her, with more than her apparently. She instantly recognised him as the tiny alien from before. Behind him, her fears were confirmed further as a giant, pink creature with a belly to out-do Yakirobe's appeared behind the shorter alien. He looked bizarrely happy, his pink pudgy skin shining in the sunlight as he pulled a childish face. _'How have they managed to get into our heads?'_

" _I have unfortunate news to announce to you all. You see…"_ Babidi continued. _"Whilst visiting your planet today, my friend and I were attacked by a small group of no-good brats! Unfortunately, this does mean that a man of my calibre cannot ignore such vile behaviour – allow me to now introduce you to my friend. His name is Buu – and he is more than capable of hunting you all down and killing every last one of you! Unless you help me track down the following people, I'm afraid Buu and I will have to be making some visits to track these traitors down. Here are the four I would like you to help me find…"_

If she'd been above ground and surrounded by people, many would have noticed her jaw drop and her eyes bulge in horror. In her mind's eye, she was given an image of Piccolo, then her little brother, then Trunks… and then her. _'He's looking for me? Why is he looking for me?'_

The potential of an answer was quashed as something heavy forced the rocks above to crush her, Chiri gagging at the lack of oxygen and horrendous pressure put upon her. Something clasped around her face, dragging her by the head from the rocky bed. If she could have done, she would have vocalised loudly her discomfort and agony but she wasn't about to give Broly the satisfaction. The bright sun pierced through the gaps between his fingers, signalling her she was back above ground. Good, oxygen was in abundance. Unfortunately, she was unable to utilise it as the pressure being applied to her head was increased further, Broly's fingers tightening their grip around her skull.

" _It is in your best interests to find these four and give me any information you can about them. Tell me where I can find them!"_ Babidi's voice continued to drone in her mind.

"Where is Kakarrot?" Broly's gruff voice barked.

"We hold hu – he's head!" Chiri's voice was muffled by the sweaty palm of his hand. Broly lightly released her, flicking her up slightly and catching her around the neck. Her dark eyes glared with venom down at him, defiance burning away. "I said," She spat, "We told you, he's dead!"

"No, I know he is here," Broly increased his grip on her neck, squeezing. "You will tell me where he is. I will fight him now, even if it means I have to kill his runt to get him here!"

Chiri bared her teeth, frustrated with how things were going. Was this guy for real? Her dad was back for the best part of a day and currently he was M.I.A. How was she supposed to know if he was even still here and not back in the afterlife? "He died seven years ago!" She spluttered through the pressure on her throat.

" _Tell me where they are – or this may happen to your home town! Majin Buu, if you will?"_

' _Shut up, Babidi!'_ Chiri was growing flustered and frustrated with the hand around her throat and with the maniacal wizard continuing to pierce her mind. The pressure on her neck forced her eyes closed, forced her to see what was happening. She was forced to watch Buu rise above a large city, his antennae rising forward as one hand rose to the sky. Light, high pitched noises were indistinguishable at first before spots began to appear, rising from the jungle of concrete. Chiri realised that these spots were actually people and they were responsible for the high shrieking sounds, screaming in terror as they were helplessly taken off their feet.

' _Don't do it!'_ Chiri pleased, her thoughts not getting through to Babidi and Buu. She couldn't give herself up to hem but she couldn't continue to watch this, held by the throat. She began to struggle, flailing her limbs and smacking fists on his strong arm, desperate to get free and do something, desperate to regain control of the situation.

The hundreds – no, thousands – of people were rising higher and higher into the air, completely under Buu's control.

" _I wonder what Buu will turn them into? Chocolate or maybe cake, or toffee?"_ Babidi was taunting them, grinning inanely. _"Perhaps he'll turn them into sweets!"_

Broly's grip tightened further, her limbs were growing heavier and harder to wield.

Buu's antenna launched forward, a bright light burst free from it, surrounding the mass number of helpless people doomed to their fate. Chiri cried inside as they vanished, lives snuffed out in an instant and turned into sweets before her very eyes. Her inner vision faded as she slipped from the conscious world, Babidi's voice warning them to find his targets and fast.


	16. AoT Chapter 16

**AN:** Sorry it's been so long since I last updated. I've had writers block and had to take a break in order to make the story progress. Forcing myself write and try and care wasn't beneficial. Anyway, here we go.

\- LilDBZBuddy89

* * *

 **Chapter 16 – The Fated Battle**

Her throat was killing her, aching and dry. She coughed a pitiful splutter. It was enough to agitate the walls inside and forced her into an all-out hacking cough, jolting forward and sitting. Her legs rose to her face, knees resting upon her forehead, which knocked into them with every contraction her stomach muscles made.

"Take it easy."

Dammit, that voice made her blood boil. Chiri looked to her right to see her father standing beside her, looking worse for wear in regards to the state of his clothes. He looked as bright as sunshine, healthy as ever… expect for the halo still floating over his head.

"Who is this guy, anyway?" Goku asked. "How does he know who I am?"

"Long story," Chiri responded, stretching her neck gently, trying to bring some comfort around it. "What happened to you, anyway? We could have done with you earlier – Majin Buu's been revived and-"

"I know, Piccolo and Krillin brought me up-to-date before Babidi gave us his ultimatum," he interrupted her. The serious look in his eyes as he stared down their adversary was one she realised she'd seen a lot in her older brother recently. It made her feel mad at her father but also long for her brother's reassurance. Neither feelings were helpful. This wasn't the time to be getting mad at her father for past childhood issues. Right now they were both stuck together against an opponent she knew to be powerful, deadly and a right pain to deal with. Her gripes with him would have to wait.

"What's your plan?" She asked, now rising to her feet and standing beside him, guard up in case Broly charged them.

"Well I was going to try and get a feel for his energy," Goku responded. "He seems like a powerful guy – especially one for a Saiyan."

Chiri nodded, "Yeah, he's the Legendary Super Saiyan – or so Vegeta and the other Saiyan were mumbling the last time we met. He can transform into this bulky, insanely powerful fighter. He's gotta be stronger than any other regular Super Saiyan I've met."

I see," Goku nodded, taking in her words. "In that case… I'd better take this seriously. Stay here and keep out of the fight, Chiri. If this guy manages to do a number on me and I end up back in the afterlife earlier than intended, then it'll be up to you. Stay and study and see if you can spot a weakness."

Chiri's brow furrowed. "You're seriously going to put me into spectator-mode again? Do you really not understand how well that worked against Cell?"

"Just do it," Goku barked. "If I use up too much energy, my time here will be cut short. If that is going to happen then we'll need you in peak condition."

Chiri didn't have anything constructive to say to this. She didn't want to be a spectator but she could see the logic behind her father's thoughts. She hated the situation but right now, she had to be rational.

Saying that, where was Broly? With the way the guy had been constantly barking out her father's Saiyan name, she couldn't see him as the type to just sit tight whilst his hated enemy and daughter had a conversation based on strategy. Her eyes scanned the area, her mind trying to latch onto his ki signal. The latter was quick to find, almost screaming in her mind's ear and announcing itself with a fierce burning, the former wasn't as easy to account for.

The ground erupted at their feet, Chiri thrown completely by the sudden attack. Apparently her father had been more prepared for it and had taken to the skies, Broly chasing after him like a maniacal bully chasing their victim. The teenager landed heavily on her back, smacking her left elbow hard against the ground. Grumbling under her breath with a mixture of frustration and embarrassment, Chiri looked up to follow the battle playing out before her. It was infuriating that once again, someone else had taken over the reins. It was even more frustrating to know that even as a Super Saiyan Two, she'd found the battle difficult to deal with.

Something about Broly didn't seem right. Chiri focussed on his energy again, baffled by the slight twinge now connected to it. Whereas before, his power had given her stomach several reasons to release its contents, there was something extra on top of it all.

Her father was holding his own, even as a Super Saiyan. But Broly wasn't struggling either from what she could tell. This was bad news, she knew it was just a matter of time before Broly started to up the anti and put more pressure on her father, slowly whittling him down and draining him of stamina. If that happened then apparently he could be sent back to the afterlife sooner. Chiri didn't understand the full ins and outs of the rules regarding his day return but it seemed highly unfair that the rules could be so easily manipulated like that. It certainly wasn't comforting to know that at any time, her dad's help could be for nothing.

But then hadn't she come into this fight expecting no one but herself? Why was she now happy to rely on anyone else's assistance, so happy to let someone else deal with the big nasties whilst she stayed nice and safe in comparison?

Her father was knocked several hundred metres towards the ground, recovering quickly and taking Broly's incoming fist head-on. The two fighters vanished in a thick cloud of dust swept up from the impact of the punch. Through the smog she could see them still duelling it out, still launching attacks at one another. Broly knocked her father to the ground, launching both boots after his opponent who narrowly dodged being crushed under his weight. Goku was swift and instantly had increased the gap between them, Broly chasing after him. Her dad drew his hands back to his right hip – Chiri launched herself as close to the ground as she could in preparation.

"Kamehameha!" Her father hollered, launching the attack inches from Broly's face. The blue beam shot off across the ground, bowing skywards and shooting off towards the heavens. The forces created by the blast were battering the surrounding area, Chiri holding herself as close to the ground and shielding her head from the debris as best she could. Her heart knew that it'd taken more than a blast like that to destroy Broly and if anything, this would have only slowed him down.

Indeed the Legendary Super Saiyan emerged practically unharmed, startling the other Super Saiyan to the point where he was wide open. Broly snatched him off the ground with one hand, launching him into the sky with a terrible punch, launching his fist against her father's ribs. Goku shot back several hundred metres before regaining control, teleporting just out of harm's way as an energy blast shot at him. The leaner Super Saiyan appeared inches from his original position, having to teleport once more as Broly launched several more energy blasts. Her dad kept his pace up, kept on teleporting out of harm's way.

This wasn't helping her at all, Chiri concluded. If anything she needed her dad to transform again into a Super Saiyan Two – provided he could do it. Then again of course he could do it, what reason would there not to be? He was insanely gifted so surely if Gohan and she had managed it, he could do it too. Hell, Vegeta had managed it!

' _Come on, Dad.'_ She frowned, swallowing a lump. _'You need to try harder!'_

He'd stopped. Her father had landed a fair distance away from his opponent. At first Chiri couldn't work out why he'd risen his hands to the sky.

It clicked. Was this the part where she was meant to take over so he could charge it up? Was this his big plan – to use the Genki Dama and then reveal some kind of weakness in Broly? This move was surely meant to be a game-finisher, not just something to be used lightly. It'd spend all the energy of the planet – and that of his own, surely? Unsure as what to do, Chiri launched herself forwards. She wasn't the only one on the move and it was incredibly naïve of her father to think that Broly would just stand and wait to die. Of course, the bulkier Saiyan had thrown himself towards his target, screeching out his name in a mixture of fury and spittle. Chiri's destination was altered, she arched herself a little to the left to meet Broly mid-flight, launching out a swift kick to the side of his head. It connected but it only served to knock him off-course. The Legendary Super Saiyan reacted before she had a chance to take another run, firing an energy blast in her direction, catching her in her midriff and sending her catapulting backwards. Chiri struggled to free herself from the blast but managed, thrown violently by the blast upon the ground.

Well, that hadn't gone as she'd planned for it to. Rising back onto her feet gingerly, ignoring the burning sting on her arms from where the skin had been torn of, she launched herself forward again. Broly was throwing out an assault, her father dodging each of his attacks with some difficulty, both arms still up above his head. Chiri started her own assault, striking Broly in the back of the head, forcing the bulky fighter to judder forward a couple of steps before regaining his balance; in that same moment, Goku had teleported back some distance, earning a couple of seconds worth of gathering time.

Broly turned on his heels and once more, fired off an energy blast, "Be gone, pest!" He snarled, his attack missing its target as Chiri leapt high into the air, firing off a barrage of her own energy attacks, showering Broly with energy and dust. The commotion forced a large cloud of dirt up into the atmosphere, Chiri keeping the attack up for as long as she could, doing anything she could to help her dad buy some more time. Why had he chosen to use the Genki Dama at a time like this? The move took ages to charge up and time wasn't something they had going spare. It wouldn't have been so much of a problem had there been others here to help, not just Chiri on her own to keep Broly at bay for long enough. _'What an idiot!'_ She cursed her own luck, unimpressed with how things had turned out.

Broly emerged through the smoke in a flash, closing in on her father. He wasn't even fazed by her attack. A vein started to pop on her forehead, her teeth grinding together. "Oh no you don't!" Chiri changed the direction of her attack, getting her blasts to chase after him and keep him shrouded in dust. She wasn't about to be dismissed just because of how single-minded this monster was – she was going to stop him in his tracks and that was that!

Chiri didn't account for the dust cloud caused from her attack blinding her father. She also didn't account for any wayward attacks possibly heading towards him! Broly deflected one of her shots, forcing it straight towards her father! "Oh sh-!" She bit her tongue, immediate ceasing her attack and darting forward towards the murky cloud she'd created, hoping that her father hadn't been hit. But of course he'd teleported out of harm's way… and now had Broly face-to-face with him, trying to put him off charging his attack.

This was no use, why was he continuing to charge it up when they clearly had no space or time to fully get the attack to work?

Chiri had an idea. It was risky but it had to work. Pulling her arms up, she gathered more ki into her palms, forcing herself back into her Super Saiyan Two form. Every second counted as she continued to gather he own energy, suddenly clamping her fingers tightly shut. Within that moment, she charged again, Broly still indifferent to her, too interested in hitting her evasive father. It wasn't until she was a couple of metres from him that he even seemed to acknowledge her existence and by then, he'd given himself no chance to respond. Chiri threw out one ki-engorged hand, the shimmering light of her energy having enveloped her hand in the speed of her movement. Her palm hit him clean in the face.

The ground to her father's right was suddenly engulfed in a large plume of dark smoke, the ground shuddered violently under the energy her attack had created. Broly shot back several hundred metres, apparently stunned by the force that'd just struck. Chiri was hot on his heels, one hand still shrouded in the energy she'd gathered, ready to release the other orb of light. The move was something she'd been working on for a while, using the force created by the ball of ki she'd made in each hand to add some extra kick to her slaps, almost as if she were releasing a non-invisible kiai. Quickly she'd gained on his lead, launching her other hand into his stomach, sending the Legendary Super Saiyan several hundred feet back and into a distant bluff, throwing trees up from their roots and sending shrapnel everywhere.

Now she had to get as far away from him as she could – he best option: back to her father. Surely he'd been able to gather most of the energy he'd need? Plus with Broly now having to deal with the ground caving in on him, she could afford to turn her back on him. The downside of using that move was that it took a fair chunk of her stamina away, so much so that she'd fallen back into her Super Saiyan state without realising it. Reaching her father with lungs that cried out for air, Chiri took the moment to take a breather, hunched over and leaning on her knees.

"You've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we were in battle," Goku muttered, Chiri unable to tell if he was concerned or proud by the unambiguous tone in his voice.

"Please… tell me… you've… got… enough… ki?" She huffed back in response, alarmed at just how much it'd taken from her. She wouldn't be able to launch it again.

"Sorry, I'm almost there," Goku apologised. "Here he comes!"

' _Already? Damn it!'_ Chiri bared her teeth, spotting the brute closing in on them fast. Within moments he was here, his fist launching towards her. Chiri jumped from harm's way, Broly's eyes followed her as she moved, forcing a cold lump to settle in the pit of her stomach. He turned to face her, dragging his thick fist back again as his other threw forward an energy attack, slamming straight into the left side of her face rather sharply. Chiri span uncontrollably, cracking her head against the ground.

* * *

Reality was absent for a while. When she realised she was actually awake, her first thought was about how long she'd been unaware for. The next one was the dreaded feeling of disappointment her father must have felt towards her, having passed out or whatever whilst he was still trying to gather energy for the Genki Dama.

Opening her eyes, she could make out the fine fragments of dirt and pebbles by her face. She was belly-down, her head resting to one side. Her limbs seemed to be functioning. Her left cheek was stinging from that last strike, she went to touch it and winced in agony, wishing she hadn't gone to feel. Her cheek felt as if it'd been sliced, a small groove seemed to be running across it. He'd pay for that.

Chiri found she was able to get to a sitting position, very self-conscious of the state she was now in. Not only had she taken a beating, she was now emotionally distraught. He would pay for that, he would pay for disfiguring her in the way he had done.

She could still sense his ki. It'd taken a significant knock. Where was he? Where was her father?

Something grabbed hold of her wrist. Chiri saw the culprit just as the world around them spun, morphing into the lookout with Dende, Piccolo, and horrifyingly, her mother and the others from the tournament. He let go of her wrist, Chiri's head spinning on her neck in time to see her father teleport away from them. The shock and horror hit her first as she cried out. Memories flashed back, memories of her childhood where she'd been left behind, where she'd been told she couldn't take part in battles. The anger brewed up inside her, forcing tears to stream down her face in rage. "You can't do that! That's not fair!" She shouted, rising onto her unsteady feet.

"Calm down!" Piccolo barked.

"Dende, heal me!" Chiri demanded, rushing towards the shorter Namekian. "Heal me so I can go and finish that fight! Please!"

"Now just one second, young lady!" Chichi stormed over towards her daughter, flinching when she saw the state of her. "Oh my-! What happened to your cheek?" She suddenly looked as pale as a ghost. "Oh, my poor baby! You've been hurt!"

"Now's not the time, Mother!" Chiri barked, forcing herself from her mother's prying hands. "Dende, heal me!"

"He's not going to heal you if you're just going to go charging off again!" Piccolo snapped. "You're done, your fight with Broly is over! Let Goku handle it!"

"Are you kidding me? I am not going to just give in!" Chiri turned to face the taller Namekian. "I can beat him! I have to! Dad's energy is getting lower and lower – if it goes down too far then he'll be sent back to the Otherworld even sooner than he's meant to be! If I go then I can help, I can help fight Broly and keep Dad here for as long as possible!"

"I am not losing another one of my babies!" Chichi hollered, still trying to catch her daughter in her arms to get a better glance of her injury. "You will stay right here with everyone else!"

"Dende!" Chiri ignored her mother, closing in on the guardian once more. "Please. We don't have Gohan to rely on anymore, we don't have Vegeta either. My dad is as good as dead to this world – heal me so I can become stronger and beat this guy!"


	17. AoT Chapter 17

**AN:** Sorry it's been such a long wait since the last chapter upload. I've been taking some time off from writing. I haven't known what direction this story is heading in for a while so I took a break to see if coming back afterwards would give me a fresh mindset. Apologies it's been over 6 months!

I should have uploaded this chapter sooner, really.

Enjoy

-LilDBZBuddy

* * *

 **Chapter 17 – Rebel**

"Are you even listening to the words you're saying?" Piccolo snapped incredulously. "Gohan is already gone, as is Vegeta! Both of them were stronger than you were, Chiri. Do you really expect to be able to fight these villains on your own? Your father is out there handling the situation – place your faith and trust in his abilities!"

"The guy is already dead!" Chiri hollered back, growing increasingly frustrated and upset. "You can't go relying on him forever – he's not going to be here to protect the planet forever! He's barely gonna be here for another couple of hours!" She grabbed hold of Dende's shoulders, looking into his eyes. "Please, Dende. Heal me."

"You're a fool if you think you'll be able to stand up to the likes of Buu!" Piccolo grinded his teeth together. "I have fought alongside your father since before you were born -"

"And I have no doubt that my dad has done some unthinkable things and has beaten seemingly unbeatable enemies," Chiri cut in. "But he failed against Cell and it was left up to my brother – my eleven-year-old brother – to defeat him instead. Dad is not going to be able to handle fighting Broly and then fighting Buu – someone has to step in and take the reins. I'll beat Broly so he can focus on beating Buu while there's still time! If you'd stop being such a moron and actually start transferring some of that belief you have in my dad onto me, I'd-" She was abruptly cut off as a warm sensation surrounded her body, eyes widening with surprise. Dende's hands were on her arms, glowing with the tell-tale signs of him using his healing powers.

"If Goku uses up his energy now fighting Broly, he won't be able to show the two boys the technique he was talking about," Dende calmly spoke, eyes still pinned on his own hands.

"Even so…" Piccolo seemed to have lost his argument, surprised by Dende's decision. Within seconds, Chiri was fully healed and throwing herself off the edge of the lookout, destined for the ongoing fight. It was all Piccolo could do to keep himself rooted to the spot. Someone with a calm and foreseeing mind had to remain here, even if it went against his own wishes. She was a fool if she thought she could handle this on her own.

"You let her go?" Chichi's voice was quiet. "Why did you let her go? I thought that…"

"She's the only other choice we have," Krillin frowned. "When Goku goes back to the other world, it's likely it'll be up to Piccolo and Chiri – and maybe the two boys – to deal with Buu."

"Need I point out that neither Trunks nor Goten have been in one of these situations before," Bulma glowered. "I'm not entirely comfortable putting such an amount of pressure on either of them - nor am I feeling particularly impressed to see you all happily going along with this idea of Goku's! They're just boys – kids!"

No one seemed to have anything to say to this. Perhaps it was guilt over their own weaknesses. Perhaps it was because there really was nothing reassuring to say to this. What choice was there? If Goku had faith in the two boys then who were they to question the man who'd saved the planet on numerous occasions? He'd sent his own son into battle years ago and as it'd turned out, his faith had been placed correctly as Gohan'd risen to the challenge and saved them all from Cell.

Far, far below them, heading away at considerable speed and increasing the distance with every passing second, Chiri had purposely chosen to transform into a Super Saiyan. She didn't care if her arrival would be obvious with the flare of her life signal. On the contrary, she wanted them to know she was coming, she wanted them to be ready for her. Because when she did get there, when she did find the two Saiyans still fighting, she was going to show her father just how wrong he was and she was going to show Broly just how moronic it was to write her off so quickly.

With each passing minute she could feel both their energies falling. With each moment, she knew her father was using up time he couldn't afford to give up.

It also hadn't gone unnoticed by her that Babidi and Buu were getting closer and closer to that battle. It was unnerving. Chiri was certain they couldn't detect energy so they had little cause for concern blaring out the sheer amount of ki they were showing… but they were getting awfully close to that fight and she was sure they'd detect it in other ways. They were getting too lucky, things were becoming too risky.

She made her decision and with a howl, she transformed once more, boosting her speed several times over and effectively launching herself through the atmosphere. The change in speed would mean it'd only be three minutes now until she arrived, if she decided to go all-out. Perhaps it was in everyone's interests; what Broly would do if her father was suddenly called back into the afterlife, she'd never know. So with that she conjured as much ki as she could to send herself soaring, tearing through the atmosphere like a comet. No doubt he could sense her coming; at least this wouldn't catch her dad by surprise, even if it meant he'd shout at her for disobeying him.

There! Chiri could see the distortions in the atmosphere up ahead, aiming for the shockwaves. Within moments she could see them more clearly, her father being forced back above an impressively large crater. Whatever had caused the distortion to the ground below them had been strong; had it been the Genki Dama or was it one of Broly's moves? Chiri didn't think she'd detected any significant changes in the atmosphere as she'd approached so perhaps it'd occurred during her brief bout of unconsciousness. It wasn't important, she decided as she approached her target, launching her fist at full speed into the Legendary Super Saiyan's cheek, sending him flying several hundred feet just as he'd been about to knock Goku back.

"I thought I made it clear!" Goku barked, floating towards his daughter.

"Touché," Chiri snapped back. "You're in no condition to fight him seriously – look at you! Who's gonna beat Buu if you get sent back to the otherworld prematurely? I'm not gonna be able to do it on my own!"

"Chiri, this is my battle now," Goku responded sternly.

She responded by revving up her power, forcing the clouds back and starting tremors in the ground below them. Her foe was in her sights, making his way back towards them at speed. With her body healed from the previous fight, she launched herself towards Broly and met his fist with hers, the collision sending off several shockwaves. She could see his movements so much more clearly than before, she could respond quicker and counter faster. Launching into her Super Saiyan Two form, she continued to outmanoeuvre Broly, dodging his heavy blows and repelling his energy blasts. Skidding back several feet, clutching the left side of her face in confusion, Chiri kept her eyes on her foe as he followed. One fist launched into her stomach and yet it seemed to do less damage than expected. Whether it was down to her avoiding a direct hit or down to the lack of power, Chiri wasn't sure. Warm was sweeping down her face, stinging in the air. Wincing and ducking under a heavy-set fist, she successfully caught him off-guard and tripped him up, instinctively reaching for the source of pain in her face as it burned suddenly. When she pulled her hand away, her eyes widened at the sight of blood covering her palm. How he'd managed to damage her like this, she didn't know.

Broly had quickly recovered, forcing himself feet-first towards her – Chiri blocking the kick full-on with her arms. The two shot several hundred feet across the ground before Chiri launched herself to the sky, Broly followed with an energy blast – the shape reminded her of Krillin's Kienzan. Dodging and responding with her own energy blast, Chiri wondered if he'd caught her at point-blank with the move earlier on. Another sharp energy disc barely scraped her across the knee, her reflexes and distance giving her an advantage. Broly set off several more of these attacks before he was floored by a sudden punch from behind to the head.

"Dad!" Chiri snapped. "Butt out!"

"I said this was my battle!" Goku roared back. "Get back to the lookout!"

"Oh give it a rest!" Chiri riled, blood beating in her ears. "You just don't get it! When have any of us listened to you? Neither Gohan nor I would back out of a fight if we could see you were in trouble – and whether you want to admit it or not, you are in trouble! You're already dead so back off!"

Broly was rising onto his feet again, blood oozing from his wrinkled lips, the sneer enough to scare anyone. "Kakarot!" He barked, turning on his heels and launching for the shorter Saiyan, who was ready for him. Chiri launched herself straight for Broly, engaging him in close-combat alongside her father, who Broly seemed more interested in fighting. Something within her was growing harder and harder to ignore, pressure building in her head. The cut on her cheek was burning more than ever, as were her limbs for what she was putting them through. A sharp turn to the right left her with an opening, slamming her fist into the back of the Legendary Super Saiyan's back with all her might. The crack that reverberated in her ears stayed with her for some time, Chiri pulled her hands to her right and cupped her palms together. "Kamehameha!" Chiri launched the blue beam at point-blank range, throwing up the surrounding dirt and rock, shrouding everyone in a thick cloud of smoke.

Gaining some distance, she took to the skies, floating several hundred feet above the ground. Chiri kept her eyes peeled firmly on the ground, peering through the thick smog. No movement, she couldn't see any sign of him but she knew he was still alive. It was going to take more than that to defeat Broly… but she had to admit, her father had weakened him. She wasn't going to complain if it gave her a better chance of coming out of this fight alive.

"Chiri!" A far-off voice hollered; her father's voice. Her eyes left the smoke and travelled in the direction of his voice, spotting him approaching her. She ignored the scowl on her father's face, eyes turning back to the dirty column, her heart smacked against her ribs as Broly unleashed himself from the ground, throwing loose fragments in her direction with a simple expulsion of energy.

She was ready. She didn't know how she knew it but something inside told her this was her. Chiri dashed forward, teleporting herself across the sky and re-emerging behind Broly, slamming a kick into his back. The pressure was still building, blurring her vision. Broly stumbled but did not fall, turning on the spot to retaliate. His fist was too slow, his movements seemingly sluggish compared to their previous encounter. Chiri couldn't allow him to gain any more advantages; she had to end it now.

Her fist launched straight through his abdomen.

Blood spattered across the ground behind him, oozing along her hand and arm. The Legendary Super Saiyan grew heavier against her, Chiri stumbling back. Her head felt clouded and hazy, the thumping growing louder still. Her foot knocked against an uneven piece of ground. In her haste she let her ki loose with terrifying consequences. The gap in Broly's abdomen expanded into his back as her ki launched itself through his torso, the ground below their feet collapsing from underneath them. The shock seemed to overwhelm whatever was happening in her head; Chiri lost contact with what was going on, blacking out.

* * *

The world seemed strange when she realised she was able to make sense of it again. For one, the ground below her feet was trashed – she was on an upturned piece of rock, jutting up above her immediate surroundings. Blinking a few more times, she sat herself up. Chiri glanced around, spotting her father with company up above.

' _Aww crud.'_

Buu and Babidi. Both stood opposite her father. What had she missed and how long had she been out for?

Another thought crossed her mind and Chiri glanced around at the ground before her. No, there was no sign of Broly anywhere. Not even a body.

Had she killed him? Was it her fault he was nowhere to be seen?

Chiri didn't have much time to think about it as suddenly, her father had transformed into a Super Saiyan. His aura shining around him, Chiri expected him to launch into battle. But for some reason, he didn't. Instead, he seemed to wait a few moments before turning into a Super Saiyan Two. Chiri bit her lip; if he continued like this, he'd run out of time before being called back to the afterlife.

Goku did something she wasn't expecting. His energy peaked further. The ground trembled violently under her, forcing Chiri to take to the skies to try and steady herself. All the while, her father's ki was rising still, his body going through some kind of transformation she'd never seen before. The electrical activity around him intensified, his entire body suddenly lit up a brilliant yellow, forcing her to clamp her eyes shut in pain. After a few moments, she dared to squint through one eye cautiously. Chiri's eyes widened in shock, spotting the sudden growth of hair falling across her father's back.

How he had the energy to tangle with Buu after all he'd been through, Chiri didn't know. The little skirmish went on for several minutes, neither of them seeming to have an advantage over the other, with Babidi floating idly by.

Chiri wasn't stupid enough to go charging in and joining the fight. Fighting Broly and having dealt a damaging blow (seriously, where was he?) did not mean she was capable of taking Buu down. The guy could regenerate from nothing! What did she have to level the playing field?

The bout seemed to come to an abrupt end, a small conversation going on between all parties bar her. This was bizarre. She knew from experience her father liked to have small breathers but this was taking longer than anticipated…

Goku vanished, reappearing beside her within an instant. Then the world spun around them, Chiri shocked to suddenly find herself back on the lookout with everyone rushing towards them.

* * *

There'd been a plan, apparently. Piccolo, master of telepathy, had gotten in contact with Goku to warn him that Babidi and Buu had been heading in their direction. The battle with Broly had more-or-less been won when Chiri had impaled Broly and set off an energy attack (in her defence, she hadn't counted on the second part happening but had merely had the wits scared out of her). Goku had wanted to let Broly go, seeing as he'd no longer pose a threat to them, instead eager to take on Buu. Unfortunately for Broly, Buu had been hungry… and so a cookie he became, now living residence in Buu's stomach.

Chiri had not been expecting that.

She wasn't going to complain.

Babidi, being the cocky kind of guy he was, had taunted Goku with the information that he'd found out the residence of one of the four fugitives, announcing he and Buu were headed to West City. It was lucky Piccolo had been paying attention to Babidi's spontaneous announcements as the warlock had declared to his audience his next destination. The Dragonball Radar was still in West City so it'd been up to Goku to distract Babidi and Buu whilst Trunks headed back home to collect the radar.

Things had gone surprisingly well. Now all that was left to happen was to teach Trunks and Goten the fusion dance.

Yes, that was the name of the technique Goku'd been saving for the boys. On paper, it sounded cool and yet awful simultaneously. Fusion was something Chiri was curious about, especially when Goku went through the explanation of the technique. (She'd decided to rest up and watch the boys' lesson from the side-lines.) The idea that the move turned two fighters into one single being, far stronger than the sum of its parts, was amusing and yet it left her with a sense of sadness. She had no one to use this move with after all, liking the sound of the power boost it'd provide them with. In a sense, she was jealous of Trunks and Goten having one another…

But when Chiri saw the technique being demonstrated, she took back her jealousy. If anything, the dance looked like something Gohan would have done as the Great Saiyaman.

Babidi's sudden disappearance from their world had caught them by surprise, albeit her father had mentioned he'd been waiting for Buu to finish him off. Indeed the Majin had killed his master, thus setting himself free from his orders. It did mean there was no one left to seal Buu up, something that worried Chiri… but then again, it had seemed Babidi was the brains of their outfit.

Goku's time had come to an end.

Chiri didn't know what to say. On the one hand, it did mean she'd no longer have to feel cross every time she saw him… but then again, it felt as if he was dying all over again. After one day, Chiri wasn't even sure she was still cross with him. It'd been so long since he'd dismissed her as someone needing protecting rather than someone who could actually do something to help. Hell, he'd even done it to her earlier on against Broly. But perhaps she didn't mind it so much. Perhaps maturing into the young teenager she was had allowed her to realise that he'd done what he thought was right.

As if. Chiri figured she was always gonna be mad at him because Goku would always want to protect her, just as he had with Gohan and just as he would have done with Goten, had he been given the chance. It sucked just how much of his youngest son's life he'd missed and how Goten would never know just how much his protectiveness had infuriated his daughter. Goten would never know just how amazing and unbelievably strong their father was.

What was she going to say?


	18. AoT Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – Back to the Afterlife**

"You'll keep watching over us, right?" Chichi tearfully asked, a tissue in her hand as she wrapped herself into her husband's arms. Beside them, Baba waited patiently for Goku to say his goodbyes.

"Of course," Goku nodded. "Don't worry, Chichi. Goten and Trunks are gonna do this. They're both hard workers from what I've seen."

"S-Say hello to Gohan for us," Chichi sniffed, burying her face in his chest.

Chiri frowned, having almost forgotten that this was the second person she'd be losing today in her family. How could she forget Gohan wasn't with them? He'd not even been given the chance to say goodbye to their father for good.

"I don't think he'll get the chance." Videl piped quietly.

Chichi turned on the spot, looking confused. "What do you mean?"

Videl looked very sheepish now that their eyes were on her, looking down at her boots for a moment. "Sorry… but I don't think he's dead. I just have a feeling…"

Chiri frowned, her mind scolding her heart for immediately searching out her brother's absent ki. No matter how much she checked, he still wasn't there. Hoping wasn't going to change that fact.

"I hope you're right," Goku responded. A stifled sound coming from his youngest offspring alarmed him, "Hey, what's wrong?" Naturally the expression on Goten's face was akin to when he'd been told his favourite television programme had finished. Chiri cursed the part of her that felt empathetic towards him; he had a bad habit of pulling this face when he wasn't getting his way and it usually led her to being told off.

"He wants a hug," Chichi explained, a sad smile adorning her face.

"Is that right?" Goku stepped forward and held his arms out, offering an opening. It took a few moments of sniffling and playing the cute card before Goten relented, rushing into their father's arms and clinging tightly to him. "Hey, it's alright." Goku reassured him. "You and Chiri can take care of mum for me while I'm gone, right? And hey, we'll see each other again one day."

"I hope it's not any time soon," Krillin muttered dryly.

"Grow strong, alright Goten?" Goku gently shook his son, who sniffled and nodded feverishly, his relatively tiny fists clenching onto his father's shirt tighter. Goku's eyes then shifted to look beyond his son, settling on the older of the two. "You too, Chiri. Protect your mother and Goten while Gohan and I aren't here."

Chiri nodded, unable to find any words to respond with. She was startled when the wet building in her eyes leaked, her tears betraying her. Internally she made a note to scream at herself later. A hand touched her shoulder, her mother squeezing tightly. "Did you want a hug, too?"

Her answer should have been a downright no. Who in their right teenager mind wanted a hug from their parents in front of everyone else? How embarrassing could they be? But seeing Goten in their father's arms was sending all kinds of conflicting signals in her head, and when was she going to be able to do this next? She was already embarrassing herself by crying so why not go all-out? Chiri took a few tentative steps forward, wanting to keep some kind of dignity by walking and not rushing in the way her brother had. Her arms wrapped around him and her brother, one of her father's arms left Goten and reached around to hook around her shoulders.

There was something intimate about sharing a hug between her technically-dead father and her little brother. It was a literal once-in-a-lifetime moment. Krillin was right; Chiri hoped she didn't have to see her father in the afterlife for a long, long time. If things were going to go terribly wrong for them, she didn't know if she could look him or Gohan in the eye and tell them what'd happened. She had to make sure they all stayed alive and all survived this, for the sake of her family and friends and the rest of the global population… but also so she wouldn't see herself as a failure. The mantle had been passed on from father to son, and now the son had died, the next in line was the daughter. The kids had their own training to contend with and she would have to busy herself in the meantime.

As soon as it'd started, it'd finished. Within seconds, Goten's feet were back on the tiles and Goku was leaving, floating into the air with Baba before vanishing.

There'd been a small, unspoken hope that with Babidi out of the picture, nothing would happen. It was a foolish hope because if anything, Buu was now even more destructive. It was almost unbearable being stuck on the lookout, miles above the ground, having to sense every explosion and feel every single life snuffed out in an instant.

Inside the palace, Piccolo, Trunks and Goten were going through the motions of the fusion technique left to them by Goku. Things didn't seem to be going well. The dance had to be in perfect synchronisation… and that was something the two boys weren't getting right. The technique seemed so meticulous; the two literally had to breathe at the same time, blink at the same time, and in all likelihood, they'd have to think the exact same thoughts. It was beginning to feel more and more hopeless; Chiri had to leave the room out of frustration. Had their father really meant to leave them with such a difficult technique to use?

And what about her? After her father's departure, Chiri'd felt a little at a loose end. She had no plan to speak of. It was getting harder to think of something to do, especially when it meant having to ignore the genocide below, the shouts coming from the palace, and the fact that her face had been mutilated.

Ok, that last one was superficial. But it'd still horrified her when her mother had screamed in her face, snatching her cheeks in her strong hands and had stared at her as if she were a new life form. The blood she'd felt during round two with Broly had been more than a simple cut.

Damn, the moron had had the last laugh in a way. Now he was somewhere in Buu's bowels, laughing his way to the afterlife… if that was where souls such as his ended up. Surely he'd be considered evil enough to be sent to Hell, considering the mark he'd left on her. Chiri hoped her father and brother would pound on him if they came across him - and chances were, they would. He'd likely be screaming "Kakarrot!" all the way through Hell…

Piccolo snapping again brought Chiri banging back into reality. She sighed and settled herself down on the tiles around the back of the palace. Everyone else had dispersed into the palace, or were still lingering around the front of the building. It was frustrating sitting here and doing nothing.

"Hey." Apparently she wasn't the only one lingering around. Chiri was surprised to see it was Dende of all people, looking a little uncomfortable. "Do you have a moment?"

"Apparently," Chiri nodded, inviting him to sit beside her. The younger Namekian kept a little distance from her, his cheeks looking a little flushed. The air between them felt charged but awkward, Chiri feeling a little bizarre. Were his eyes shimmering or was that just her?

"I've been thinking…" Dende started, coming into focus. "… about what Videl said, about Gohan."

"Yeah?" Chiri nodded.

"What if…" Why was he being so hesitant all of a sudden? His thoughtful state was quickly grating on her nerves. "… What if he really is alive?"

Chiri frowned. "… Well, if he is," She started, deciding to humour him. "… If he is then he's the best hide-and-seek player I've ever met."

Dende looked down at his shuffling feet. "… I loved him."

Chiri's jaw dropped. She hadn't expected that.

"And… now he's gone… so you're the next in line." Dende's facial features were shifting in a strange way, almost as if she were watching him underwater. Creepily he seamlessly slid towards her, reaching out to grab her. Chiri didn't have time to squeak before she was forced back, struggling with surprise as she was unable to throw him off. Finding her voice, she hollered out and decked the Namekian clean in the face… expect his face felt like…

A stomach? She didn't think Namekian faces were meant to be so squishy.

Chiri was on her back, staring at tiles, tucked into a bed, her fist straight to her side. A few metres from her, Goten was crumpled over in pain, clutching onto his stomach. She blinked a few times before she realised she'd been dreaming.

' _Ah… Where did that come from?'_

Sitting up and shifting under the covers, Chiri cautiously walked towards her brother. "Sorry, I was dreaming. Did I hit you hard?"

There were loose tears in her little brother's eyes, so apparently that was a yes. Still, he seemed to be wanting to put on a brave face – and for good reason, as Trunks was in the doorway looking a little anxious.

"We were coming in to see if you wanted any food," The lavender-haired boy explained, taking a few tentative steps in. It was as if he were labouring under the possibility of her striking him. Chiri bit her lip, feeling guilty. But still, her brother knew from experience that she lashed out when she was asleep! "Mr Popo's cooked us up some."

"That sounds like an idea," Chiri nodded, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Maybe we ought to get Dende to…" She went quiet, feeling her cheeks redden. Seriously, where had that dream come from?

"We were wondering if you were ill," Trunks quietly added as they left the room. "You looked like a tomato."

Having fully rejuvenated their energy stocks after their fantastic meal, Goten and Trunks were dragged back into training by Piccolo. Chiri decided to join them for a moment, watching tentatively as her younger brother tried again and again and again to perfect the fusion dance.

Eventually, Piccolo decided it was time to test the boys. They weren't perfectly in sync all the time but everyone was anticipating something incredible. It had to be awesome if Goku was adamant this technique was the answer to fighting Buu.

Watching with baited breath, the group gathered out on the marble tiles outside the palace, circling the two boys and Piccolo, who stood opposite them. The Namekian cued them in. "Let's begin. First, make sure your power levels are equal."

"Right," Trunks and Goten nodded, launching their ki higher until they both reached Goten's maximum; Goten being the weaker fighter of the two of them.

Piccolo nodded, indicating that their energies were equal. "Good, your energies are aligned. Now remember, everything including your breathing must be in sync."

Both boys glanced at one another to signal they were ready, then brought their arms out to one side, pointing away from their partner. Scuttling over in a crab walk and bringing their arms over their heads whilst keeping them straight, they initiated the dance. A couple of violently exaggerated poses later, their fingertips touched. Unlike before, there was a blinding flash which consumed the two children. The sudden appearance of it caught everyone by surprise, Chiri raising her arms higher to shield her eyes.

It took a moment for the dust to settle and for the blinding light to fade. What stood before them was impressive. Unfortunately the form it had taken left a horrid feeling in Chiri's stomach.

A fat kid stood before them. His blubbery torso rippled out proudly underneath a puffy-shouldered jacket, too short to reach his belt line. Chiri had to question how this child's clothes had materialised as it in no way represented Goten or Trunks' outfit. Perhaps this was part of the magic? The boy's hair stood up high, highlights of lavender along the sides whilst the bulk of it reflected Goten's hair colouring.

"…That's it?" Yamcha stammered.

It was a good question. How could that be what her father was trying to get the boys to do? This had to be a joke. He had to be messing with them. But her dad was really dim so how could he have thought of a joke like this? Chiri didn't understand what had gone wrong but surely this had to be a mistake. There was no way her dad would set them up like this.

"This had better be reversible," Bulma was mumbling.

"Not even a mother could love that," Chiri's mother added.

"I can't bring myself to think that this is the guy Goku reckons can beat Buu," Krillin was in agreement.

"Maybe it's meant to be like this?" Yamcha suggested, appearing to get over his initial shock. "A fatso for a fatso? He looks like Buu. Maybe that's it?"

The hybrid child started to jump on the spot, warming up for an apparent battle. Chiri couldn't help judge him based on looks – and his energy wasn't much to shout about. What had gone wrong? One of them had to have messed it up, surely?

The warming up had proved too much for the fusion, who had started to jog along before abruptly stopping and gasping for air. It didn't leave the group feeling confident.

"… I thought so," Piccolo spoke up, sounding agitated as he made his way to the struggling fighter. "Trunks' finger was pointed out when you boys did the "–sion" part of the technique." He demonstrated the pose with the apparent error, his index fingers pointed out as suggested. "Your fists…" He rolled his hands into balls, "sound look like this, clenching your fingers in." Standing back to his full intimidating height, he continued. "Right. Do it again. De-fuse and we'll start again."

... Nothing happened. The boy stared up at the Namekian. "… How do we do that?"

It was a good question. No one here seemed to be able to supply the answer.

"We'll have to wait out the half hour," Piccolo grimaced.

Chiri frowned. It was a relief to know it really was a blunder that had caused the fusion to come out looking so unfit and well fed. However it didn't settle her nerves. If it meant every time the boys messed up they'd have to wait for half an hour for the fusion to wear off, then have to wait a further hour to do the fusion again…

There had to be something more productive she could be doing with her time. So whilst the others started to crowd around the fusion, she instead turned her attention to Piccolo. He was probably the most seasoned fighter here and the most knowledgeable when it came to training and potential ways to help her. Her dad wasn't around and neither was Gohan. Piccolo was likely the strongest fighter here, too. Maybe a sparring match or a training session under him would provide some results for her?

"Piccolo, I have a request," She announced, squaring up to the tall Namekian fighter. His eyes turned to glance at her, apparently interested enough to give her the time of day. "Since this whole fusion thing can't happen for another hour and a half, could you train with me?"

The look on Piccolo's face turned to a grimace. "A sparring session wouldn't provide much more assistance to you now… Besides, you've already outgrown me in strength."

Chiri frowned and folded her arms. "So what if I'm stronger than you? Can't you spar with me?" As much as internally it made her happy to know she was stronger than Piccolo of all people, it felt like a cop-out answer.

"If you want to get stronger and train, there's only one real option for you," Piccolo countered, his attention turning to the palace. "You'll have to use the room."

"… You're going to need to add more detail to that sentence," Chiri responded.

"Mr Popo," Piccolo ushered the lookout assistant over. "Is the Room of Spirit and Time prepared for someone to use?"

"Yes," Mr Popo nodded.

"Then it should be fine to send you in," Piccolo decided, eyes back on the teenager. Chiri still looked just as confused, which irritated him. "What? You're looking at me as if you're stupid."

"No, I'm looking at you as if I don't have a clue what you're talking about – and that does not make me stupid!" Chiri responded snappily.

"What's going on?" Chichi had wandered over.

Piccolo exhaled and glanced at her, worried about the response he was about to get. "I take it you and Bulma are still unhappy putting all this pressure on Goten and Trunks' shoulders? Well, we have an alternative. Your husband and son trained in a special room on this lookout seven years ago, preparing to fight Cell. They managed to train for a year within the space of one day – well, they could have. (Instead they chose to train for nine months which would have taken them eighteen hours this side of the room.) Chiri has the option of using this room in order to grow stronger. Whilst we'll all be out here waiting for the boys to learn their fusion technique, she could be spending months in this room building on her own strength."

The look on Chichi's face was a mixture of disgust and horror.

"Please, mum," Chiri perked up, sensing this was too good an opportunity to miss. "I really need to get stronger. I know with all this fighting today I'll have gotten stronger but this way I can be even stronger still!" Her sentence had sounded very babyish but she hadn't worked out a better way to articulate herself.

"You want to be sent to a room and vanish for a year? Are you nuts?" Chichi spat, fists resting on hips in a fashion Chiri was very familiar with. "Haven't you had enough action for one day? Look at you – you're barely recovered from the last scurmish you were in against that brute! We've lost your brother, we've lost your father again and yet you're happy to go charging into some room you know nothing about?"

"The room itself has ten times the Earth's normal gravity," Piccolo chimed in. "The temperature in there can fluctuate wildly. Normally I wouldn't advise a child going in alone…"

"Are you trying to get me in this room or to keep me out of it?" Chiri raised an eyebrow.

"With Chiri's strength and resilience, she should be able to manage half a year at least," Piccolo continued as if Chiri hadn't said anything.

"I don't care, I'm not going to let you go into this room!" Chichi demanded. "You need to rest. You need to mourn. You need to stop throwing yourself into dangerous situations so much! I don't know who you get it from!"

"I do," Krillin muttered from his far-off position, loudly enough for Chiri to hear.


	19. AoT Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 – The Room of Time and Challenges**

"I forbid you to go into that room!" Chichi snapped. "Rest instead. You've done enough for one day."

"She's been healed by Dende and will be in perfect condition for the room," Piccolo countered. "Unless you want all the pressure to remain on your son's shoulders, I suggest you let her in."

"What's going on?" Videl had approached the small group, her voice a little quieter than normal.

"Mum and Piccolo are arguing over whether I ought to train in a room or not," Chiri answered, not entirely sure why she was even bothering explaining it. She herself may not know much about this special room but Videl would know significantly less about what she was talking about. The puzzled look was confirmation and bizarrely, Chiri continued to explain. "There's this special room here where my dad and Gohan trained when we were all having to fight against Cell. To be honest, when they came out, Dad really felt Gohan was ready to fight Cell… and he wasn't exactly wrong, was he?"

Videl nodded with a small smile, a flicker of pain in her eyes.

"Mum thinks I've done enough dangerous stuff today - which is totally the wrong decision. I mean I've done a lot of stuff I wouldn't normally do, like fight the bad guys and get healed a lot by Dende, but that's no excuse to stop me from doing anything. Time is a luxury right now and we don't have it."

"… I think I get what you mean," Videl frowned, wincing as Chichi snapped again at Piccolo. "… Why does he want you to go in this room then? What's so special about it?"

"Well, the biggest thing about it is if you go in there, you can stay an entire year inside of it and when you come out, only a day here will have passed," Chiri answered. Seriously, why did she find the need to answer Videl's questions?

"W-What?" Videl stammered. "T-That's possible? That can't be right… Can it?"

"It must be," Chiri shrugged her shoulders. "Piccolo's pretty knowledgeable about what's here on the lookout. He's fused with the guy who used to be the guardian of the Earth, so I'd take anything he says pretty seriously." She frowned and shook her head with a mournful sigh. "… This is just waiting even more time. Forget this." She started to walk towards the palace building whilst her mother and Piccolo continued to squabble. Her movement didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Chichi cried, rounding on her daughter, who continued to walk.

"I'm going inside," Chiri answered without turning back.

"You certainly are not!" Chichi rushed forward, grabbing hold of her daughter's sleeve. "I will not repeat myself, Son Chiri! You will stay out here in the real world with everyone else and you will rest!"

"What good will that do?" Chiri snapped back. "We don't have a lot of time to work with! We don't know just how long it will take before Buu decides to blow this planet up! Do you want that?"

"Of course not! I refuse to stand idly by and watch my daughter wreck her body further by insisting t-that-" Her voice faltered. Chichi crumbled to her knees, a hiss escaping her gritted teeth as a hand covered her eyes. Her other hand fell from her daughter's shoulder.

Chiri would have continued to walk if the shock hadn't hit her. She looked at her mother's shuddering form, noticing just how much her shoulders were shaking. She was crying. She was trying hard not to cry but she was nevertheless crying. It made Chiri's heart ache to see her mother like this, bringing back memories of when her father had passed away and having seen her mother in the state she was in. The annoyance was lost and instantly she was by her mother's side, hoping there was something she could do to help fix this. "Mum… Please don't cry."

"I-I've…" Chichi stammered, wiping her eyes. "… I've lost one of you already… I… I can't lose another one… both of you…"

"It's gonna be ok, mum," Chiri wrapped her arms around her. "I'm not going to be killed and neither is Goten."

What else was there to say? How could she convince her mother that training was for the best? At her current state and despite the power boosts she'd had today, she still couldn't fight Buu the way her father had. If only she'd known how to transform into that Super Saiyan with long hair; it seemed like such a useful transformation. She needed more time to get better and grow stronger; how could she put that in words?

"Let her into that room."

It sounded like a Piccolo thing to say, so it surprised Chiri and Chichi alike that it was Videl who'd spoken up. Both turned to the blue-eyed teen.

"Wh-What?" Chichi croaked.

"I get that it's really hard to see a family member you love so much in danger," Videl responded. "I watched my dad get hit by Cell on television all those years ago. It was one of the hardest, most heart-breaking moments I've ever seen… even if the later events of that day turned out to be a lie. Then when mum passed away… It's horrible. But wouldn't it be better if Chiri and Goten were strong enough to not be killed? If they're not strong enough now, it doesn't make sense to try and stop them from growing strong enough to help beat this monster."

Videl was a genius. Chiri made a mental note to congratulate her brother's spirit on picking such a smart girlfriend.

Chichi sighed and slowly got back to her feet. She didn't say anything.

Piccolo took that as a blessing. "Mr Popo, show Chiri to the Room of Spirit and Time."

* * *

The first thing she noticed was how whitewashed the room seemed to be. Almost everything was the colour white. Why was there little colour in here?

The second thing she noticed was the gravity sitting on her shoulders, once the door had been closed. It felt harder to breathe, like being up in the mountains with little oxygen. But even then this felt worse. She'd been expecting it to be warmer but it wasn't – it was freezing! Walking out into the open space down the steps, she realised why. It was a blizzard. The wind immediately picked up as she left the safety of the room she'd come in through. Turning back and exploring some more, she found the beds and the pantry. Somewhere to sleep was a great start – and the beds themselves felt pretty comfortable. Wasn't there a way to turn the weather off outside?

The fridge wasn't exactly stocked well. Chiri felt a little anxious not knowing how long she could last in here with her appetite. Mr Popo had severely underestimated how much food she'd go through.

Stepping back out towards the open expanse, Chiri made her way down the steps and found herself plummeting to the floor as soon as she'd passed the last one. Catching herself and feeling the full effects of this frigid landscape, it was a struggle to get back up quick enough before the floor froze her hand. Stumbling back onto the steps, she took in a couple of small breaths and scratched her cheek.

How was she meant to train out there if she was going to be stuck to the floor? Was it a test to see how strong and quick she was?

Well, it'd make for a good warm-up, she summarised.

* * *

It felt odd coming out of a place where time was tight and battles to decide the fate of the planet were happening, to come to a place where the pace was much slower. She could almost relax. She could take her time and focus on her training, rather than wondering what was going down on the planet below the lookout. Chiri'd noticed she could no longer sense anyone's energy signals and hoped that was one of the magical things this room did.

It had been a shock when the storm had passed the following day. She'd been met with an expanse of nothing. Nothing but white lay before her. It was illuminating and bright and made her feel awake, but it was also filling her with a biting loneliness. Was there anything else out there? Was she alone? Did it have a limit and was there a wall far beyond the horizon?

Her curiosity got the better of her. Chiri ventured off into the expanse, opting to fly out in search of any markers. Any signs that something else was here.

After a couple of hours, her curiosity had died down. She'd decided that if anything was here, it surely couldn't be worth the time it was taking to find it. So she decided to head back.

Another couple of hours later and Chiri was panicking. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't see the small building she'd been staying in. How had she not thought this over? What an idiot she'd been! With nothing to guide her back and not having thought about how dangerous it'd be to not fly in a straight line, she had no way of knowing which was the way back to the palace. Plus she couldn't use her senses to guide her back, nor could she try to sense through to the other side of the door.

Her stomach was growling. Panic was sweeping over her mind and the air was starting to thin. She'd realised the thinning air meant a change in temperature was imminent. She didn't know how much time she had left before things were either going to get too hot or too cold in here – and she had no way of finding shelter from the elements.

Another half an hour passed before she felt the sweat starting to pour down her face. The temperature was rising. Damn, she hated the heat. Growing more and more desperate, she was starting to make more irrational and reckless decisions. She'd lost all sense of direction, she had no idea whether she was coming or going and now to make things worse, the room was still growing hotter and hotter. It was taking its toll on her lungs. Chiri felt as if she was flying through an oven; it hurt to breathe. So she descended to the ground, flinching and swearing when her feet tapped onto the flaming hot floor. Hopping back into the air, she chided herself for being stupid and decided to keep as low to the ground without touching it, wondering if the whole heat-rises rule applied.

How was she going to get back? Piccolo would know, surely? But how was she going to get his attention? She knew he could use telepathy…

' _Piccolo? Can you hear me?'_ She thought, shouting loudly in her head in desperation. _'Piccolo, I'm lost! I can't find my way back! Can you give me some tips?'_

Nothing. No response came. She tried and tried again, clenching her fists and clamping her eyes shut in concentration, but still nothing. After a few ill-fated attempts, she instead switched tactics and started swearing at Piccolo in her head. It didn't provoke a response.

A flame shot up suddenly from the floor, Chiri barely dodging it. So the floor was going to start spitting fire now, was it? Perfect.

Another snake-like flame darted towards her, Chiri dodging again. A third hit her square between the shoulder blades, causing her to cry out and fall to the ground. Her skin seared against the surface, blisters popping up as she hollered in agony. Chiri pushed herself from the floor, now surrounded by flames. It was no use, she was going to die here. Her body was failing her and suffering from the heat the room was putting her under. She wouldn't make it out of this room alive. What good was she to anyone if she couldn't even make it to the other side of the damn door to show how much stronger she'd become?

A flicker of green glinted in the corner of her eye. Hazily she looked in its direction, unable to see it through the flames as they licked the air. Then through a small break, she saw it again.

The bloody gigantic hourglass. She could see it.

She was closer than she thought.

But still so far away. The flames were rising around her, shutting off the open space around her. She had to get out of this encroaching heat dome before it consumed her.

Chiri threw herself up into the air, flinching as her body protested. Passing through the blistering flames she threw herself over towards the palace, desperate to reach it and adamant that she'd use up all the energy she had left to succeed. As she approached, a fiery dome consumed the palace and hourglasses, shutting off her only means of escape from this hellish world. Chiri hesitated, trying to spot an opening. The heat waves and temperature were knocking her out, she had to make a decision now before she passed out and ended up being cooked. So she decided to take a leaf out of her dad's book and hit the problem head-on.

She threw her body towards the dome.

The intensity of the flames made her eyes dry, sapping the moisture from her body as it seared every inch of her, causing excruciating pain. But she quickly passed through and not a moment too soon. In that instant, the temperature dropped back to regular levels, as if there were a shield protecting her from the effects of the room. The comparatively cold floor stung the skin on her arms as she lay, gathering her energy and her breath back.

That had been far too close for comfort.

What had everybody outside been thinking, not telling her just how dangerous it was to go exploring outside? It angered her to know she hadn't realised the danger she'd put herself in but the responsible adults outside surely should have told her?

Chiri lay there for a while, unsure for how long. Her body was at its wits end and she wasn't sure whether it would be wise to come out now and get herself healed, or chance it and head to bed, or try to find some medicines. If she left now then it'd feel like a wasted session; she was only a few days into her training. She couldn't leave, not yet. She'd made her decision.

Her determination helping her to find the much-needed energy to get off the floor, the first thing she did was head for the sink, pouring herself a glass of water. Gulping down the comparatively freezing water, she poured another cup and stood, glass in hand, allowing her body to rest. The stinging would probably become far worse if she went for a bath or a shower. What was she supposed to do to treat this?

Rummaging around the cupboards looking for any kinds of medicines or creams, she came across something that made her double-take. A sack. A small brown sack sat on one of the cupboard shelves looking innocuous. Could it be? Chiri reached out and seized the bag, her hopes rising when she felt the familiar shapes inside of it, opening the bag to find a small handful of senzu beans.

Whoever had put these in here obviously knew what they were doing. The beans themselves looked a little more shrivelled than Chiri would have liked, not wanting to guess just how long they'd been in here for. She had no idea who'd left them here but she was thankful all the same. Taking one of the beans from the bag, she ate it, waiting for the bean's magical effects to take place. Indeed she wasn't left disappointed, as her body was suddenly as good as new. The blisters on her skin and the heat instantly vanished, sending a bizarrely cool feeling over her.

"I owe someone a thank you," She smiled to herself in relief. "Right, how many of these are in here…" She may as well make the most of this resource. In a way it gave her more confidence to go as all-out as she could, knowing that if she did injure herself, there was something to heal her in this room.

This was going to make training a lot safer.


	20. AoT Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – The Split**

Sweat was rolling down the Namekian's face. The weight of the situation before them was immense; the monster had discovered their hiding place. He'd also gone through a transformation, shedding the fat innocence for a form which was tall, lean and with a ki full of malice. His eyes were colder, his aura far more deadly than before. As soon as the transformation had been triggered, he'd come straight for them, no sign of a diversion. Piccolo knew this meant that this Buu could sense ki, unlike his predecessor.

"Bring," The monster ordered.

' _Bring? Bring what? What could he be possibly talking about?'_ Piccolo was stumped. Was he looking for something or someone? Had he been in search for Goku, after having battled him the previous day? "Bring what?" He asked cautiously.

Buu's face contorted with annoyance, making Piccolo's pulse raise higher. "Bring!" He snapped, far louder than before. The sound of his voice sent shockwaves across the tiles, the entire palace shuddering under the pressure.

This was too dangerous a situation. There were people here who would suffer and die under Buu's might – Piccolo knew that realistically none of the fighters here would be that more capable of protecting themselves and the others. The fused warrior Goten and Trunks had created – Gotenks – was no match for the previous fat Buu's strength, so to expect them to take on this stronger, wiser Buu… It was going to take a miracle for them to survive this encounter. Piccolo was still none the wiser on what Buu was waiting for and he dared not ask again, in fear that he would attack with frustration. But then what other choice did they have? He'd attack if they didn't produce whatever it was he was here for…

"T-Tell me what you're looking for… and perhaps I can bring it to you," He tactfully suggested. It was getting harder to speak with confidence in front of this monster.

The sickly smile that crept on his face made Piccolo shudder. "The ones who want to fight me. Bring them to me. They're here. This is the only place with big powers."

"So he can sense ki," Krillin realised, muttering somewhere behind Piccolo. Piccolo dared not work out exactly where Krillin was and turn his eyes away from Buu. It was of little importance anyway. He was more concerned about Goten and Trunks. This had to be it. Goku must have told him something about a fighter training to battle with Buu. Piccolo cursed under his breath. _'Goku, why did you have to go and mention it to him?'_ They needed more time; the boys still didn't have a good grip on controlling themselves when they were fused. Their power was impressive for a pair of children so young, yet they were inexperienced, obnoxious and reckless beyond belief.

As soon as their fusion dance had succeeded, their fused alter ego had gone charging off to fight the fatter Buu. The battle hadn't gone well and it had been very lucky that the two of them had made it back alive. Gotenks was far too dangerous and far too unreliable to call on right now. But then their only other option…

He'd have to call her out of the Room of Spirit and Time. The boys wouldn't be ready but just in case Chiri fell, it would be a good idea to have them raise their power levels higher within the room itself.

Buu was becoming more and more agitated but Piccolo managed to make contact. _'I'm going to try and stall him for as long as possible. I'd like you to stay in there for another half an hour, our time. That would be around another seven days for you. Train as hard as you can. When you come out, I'll explain to you, Goten and Trunks what we're going to do.'_

From the sounds of things, the others had come outside and were muttering amongst themselves. The boys' mothers and friends were standing close to the palace, all eyes having spotted Majin Buu standing on the opposite side of the lookout.

"There are two fighters who are here," Piccolo started. "But they're both resting right now, getting ready for the battle."

"Wake them," Buu demanded. "I fight them now!"

That was not the response Piccolo had wanted. "P-Please, wait for them to be rested. Don't you want to fight them at their best, don't you?"

Buu seemed to mull this over, rolling his head back and forth. "… Nah, I hate to wait. Wake them up, now."

* * *

She'd done as instructed and spent her last week training and resting, preparing for the battle that would be waiting outside. Chiri took a small nervous breath and opened the door to the outside world. It took a moment for her senses to register the dimmer corridor of the palace, her hearing to adjust from the silence of the world she was leaving. Her ability to detect life was flooded with signals from several immediate life forms… but no one else. Her heart dropped into her stomach. Why couldn't she feel any life down below them? What had happened since she'd gone in?

Buu's energy was stronger than before, far stronger. It felt more acrid in her throat, more dangerous and volatile. So it was true, he had changed. Piccolo hadn't gone into much detail about what'd happened. She hoped she'd be able to get her answers, especially as he hadn't seemed to have heard her requests when they'd last spoken telepathically.

As if on que, Piccolo emerged from down the corridor. Chiri approached him, "How bad is it?" She asked.

"Bad. Follow me," Piccolo instructed. He led her through several corridors, climbing up two flights of stairs and entering one of the outer rooms of the palace. Goten and Trunks along with Krillin, Dende and Mr Popo were waiting. The two boys looked worried but well-rested, to Chiri's relief. The plan was they were meant to be going into the Room of Spirit and Time to work more on their fusion and strength, just in case things turned for the worst. Inside Chiri resented the lack of faith the more seasoned fighters seemed to have in her. She may not have had a great track record of battle victories but she was by no means a push over. Majin Buu would find this out soon.

"Is he still waiting?" Piccolo asked quietly.

"Yeah," Krillin answered, glancing over the balcony. Chiri spotted the pink form of Buu come into view as she drew closer. He had definitely grown and slimmed down. If anything he reminded her a little of a troll. A very pink and creepy-looking troll. He seemed to be squatting in front of a sand-timer…

"Buu is in every way more powerful than before," Piccolo warned as he turned to the three youths. "I'm sorry to drag you out of the room, Chiri. I didn't see any other option." His eyes scanned over to the two boys. "Mr Popo will show you two boys to the Room of Spirit and Time. For every minute out here, you'll get six hours inside of it. You have half an hour; that will give you around a week inside of the room. Train as hard as you can. We may still need you two boys to fight against Buu, we can't take any chances anymore."

"B-But what about Chiri?" Goten asked anxiously. "Are you sure you wanna let her fight against that Buu?"

"What are you trying to say?" Chiri folded her arms indignantly. "Of course I'm going to fight Buu. That was the entire point of me going into that room to train!"

"Chiri will fight against Buu if he doesn't last the hour," Piccolo interrupted, causing Chiri to whirl around distraught. "Our odds are better if we get you to work together. It would be foolish and downright suicidal of us to assume one of you would be a match for him. The way things are now, nothing short of a miracle could save us… Don't give me that look!" He snapped, growing irritated with the looks of offence he was receiving. "Your fathers and Gohan fought this monster and failed – he is now far stronger than he was when he killed Gohan and Vegeta!"

"It's gonna be fine, Piccolo," Trunks interjected. "With Goten and me fusing to make Gotenks, and with Chiri having trained, I'm sure we'll get to whoop his ass!"

"Yeah, we can do it," Goten nodded in agreement. "I'm sure we'll find a way – especially with Chiri helping us."

"Hey – it'll be you two helping me," Chiri cut in. "I get that things look grim right now but that's no reason to be such a downer, Piccolo."

Piccolo bared his teeth, "None of you seem to understand the situation we're in. Buu is far stronger now than we ever could have imagined."

Chiri smiled. "So am I."

"H-Hey!" Goten perked up, glancing over the balcony. "Mum – what are you doing?"

Chiri's heart leapt into her throat. Immediately she was by her brother's side, glancing down onto the outer area of the lookout. Their mother was walking away from the building, approaching Buu. Judging by her posture, she was in a bad mood. Chiri wasn't sure how to react to this, her feet seemingly rooted to the spot.

"What does she think she's doing, the fool!" Piccolo sneered.

Chichi stopped in front of Buu. Her hand rose.

Chiri didn't need to see it to know what was going to happen. She bolted from the floor as her mother slapped Buu around the head.

Whilst she admired her mother for having the guts to go up to a monster fully capable of killing her with a blink and smacking him in the head, she felt very uncomfortable watching the scene play out. Landing by her mother's side, she snatched hold of Chichi's hand and pulled the two of them high into the air as Buu's tentacle released a bolt of pink energy, barely missing her mother. Instead it struck the ground, turning the unfortunate tile it made contact with into an egg.

Anger seethed through her body as Chiri landed safely on the floor, carefully putting her mother back onto her own feet. "That was close!" Chichi had cried, suddenly finding herself in her father's hold. "Dad, let me go! I have to go back and tell him off for what he did to Gohan!"

Chiri ignored her mother's feeble protests, eyes pinned on the pink beast before them, who was eyeling her back. Perhaps he was annoyed he'd missed his target. Perhaps he was curious about her and was sizing her up as a fighter. Chiri didn't give a damn for the reason. She was furious. He'd just tried to kill her mother and whilst her mother had launched the first blow, she couldn't abide the idea that a creature with its strength would so callously launch an offensive against a helpless life form. And it was her mother, of all people. Her mother was strong, she didn't back down and was downright determined. Her mother was the rock of their family. What she said usually went – unless of course their dad was about. She could be a pain, she was strict and loud, her voice sometimes hurt Chiri's ears when she yelled. There were times when Chiri wished her mother would just lighten up and give them more freedom. But she would never in a million years allow anyone to hurt her.

Buu had to pay for his actions. They may have not been successful but she was not going to pretend nothing had happened.

She darted towards the monster. Buu rose to his feet and blocked off her incoming punch. Moving at a reasonable speed, Chiri launched off several more punches and kicks, Buu blocking every single one with not so much as a twitch. His face was static, glaring at the attacking hybrid as she dealt out blow after blow. A limb snatched her by the wrist and tossed her into the air, Chiri quickly gaining control of her flight. She charged back towards him, striking him square between the eyes with both her feet. The move sent him skidding several feet back across the tiles but still seemed to deal no damage.

So he really had gotten strong.

Chiri landed metres from him, putting up her guard in anticipation.

Buu's head tentacle twitched again; Chiri instinctively jumped up and away.

The pink light headed in the opposite direction.

It stuck her approaching mother; just her mother. When she'd broken free of her grandfather's grip was beyond her. But the beam hit.

Her life force weakened significantly as she turned into an egg. The egg rolled across the floor at quite some speed, heading towards Buu's waiting foot.

"Don't!" Chiri cried, bolting forward horrified.

Buu's tentacle turned and faced her. Another beam of light shot out from it, Chiri having to barrel roll out of harms way. She couldn't make it in time now; the cracking sound of the pressure Buu's foot applied became engraved in her memory as her mother was reduced to nothing, her life force wiped out in an instant.

She'd gone in to attack Buu again, there was no doubt about it. Chiri wouldn't know the stupid reason why her mother had deemed it necessary to approach Buu. What more warning had she wanted from him; he'd already tried to kill her! But then that didn't excuse the actions she'd witnessed. And it'd been her own damn fault for not being more protective. Even with the blatant attempt on her mother's life, Chiri had decided that saving some power for later was still the better option.

She could feel the anger and horror of all the eyes on them. She could see the distraught look in her baby brother's eyes, even from this distance. She realised the reason she couldn't sense anyone else down below was because this Buu had done what the other Buu seemed to be taking his time about; he'd killed everyone else on the planet apart from them. The shame swamped her. What would she say to her father and brother when she saw them? How could she face her brother knowing that he'd seen her fail to protect their mother?

"Enough!" Piccolo's barking voice was just about reaching her. "You will waste all of our efforts!"

Buu had killed her mother.

Blinded with rage and fury at herself, Chiri hollered like a wounded animal. Her energy burst from her body shimmering brightly, her ki rising higher and higher. Her heart ached, her body burned with the shame and anger. The anger was directed towards her opponent, the one who had caused all this pain and suffering, the one who was shredding her family to pieces and destroying everything she knew. Goten and Trunks would have to train like mad because she was ready to go all out – and if going all out didn't work then they'd have to do what she couldn't.

Chiri shot down from her position in the sky, her golden aura and electrical energy dancing around her as she closed in. This time her punch pushed Buu several metres back across the ground, shooting over the edge of the lookout. Chasing after him, she grabbed hold of his right ankle and tossed him back towards the lookout. Teleporting, she kicked him high into the air, Buu seemingly unable to stop himself. Chiri didn't care if he was mocking her right now, all she wanted to do was cause him pain. She powered up further, gathering energy into her palms and began to fire multiple energy shots in his direction. Quickly the skies above the lookout were smothered in dark, dense smoke. The energy released forced the atmosphere to move, creating powerful winds which buffeted those on the lookout. The light from the exploding ki blasts was blinding, whilst the shockwaves of the explosions was near-on deafening. Chiri continued to fire shot after shot, giving it everything she had until finally, she conceded against her lungs. Huffing and puffing, she descended back down onto the lookout, feet tapping hard against the floor.

Up above, the smoke was beginning to disperse. As it spread, small blobs became visible. Her eyes stayed on these blobs, it dawned on her that these where Buu. She'd blown him to pieces. As cathartic as it'd felt during the moment, she knew it wasn't enough to finish him off. So, gathering more and more energy in her hands, Chiri started firing off a second round of energy attacks, aiming for every blob she could spot.

The lookout shook with every hit; those behind her clinging to the building or floor. Out from the corner of her eye, she could see the boys and Piccolo had disappeared. Hopefully Piccolo had taken the two boys to the Room of Spirit and Time.

The undestroyed blobs were starting to shift towards one another. An idea struck Chiri and she ceased her second barrage, instead choosing to charge up a dense single energy blast. Cupping her hands to the side, she began to draw strength and charge up the familiar blue energy wave. "Ka… Me…"

The blobs were growing into a single larger ball of pink: Buu was regenerating.

"Ha… Me…" Chiri was anticipating this. "HAA!" Throwing her hands forward, she fired off her father's Kamehameha wave. The blue beam of energy shot straight for the gathering ball of pink and hit home. Amidst the blinding light, Chiri felt her attack hit Buu. She felt the resistance start to fade as the Kamehameha overwhelmed him, disintegrating his body and throwing the remains towards the vastness of space.

Her arms dropped to the sides, her lungs now more devoid of oxygen than before. Sweat was rolling down her forehead, stinging her eyes as the weight of what had happened hit her. _'That was for mum, you bastard.'_

They'd have to use the Dragonballs to bring her back with everyone else. Chiri hoped that if Gohan was in the other world, he was taking care of their mother. She hoped that her father had felt her release of energy from the dead. She hoped that Buu was dead so they could get on with bringing everyone back.

"Don't let your guard down!" Piccolo's voice barked from behind, surprisingly close-by. Dende was by his side, hands out ready. Before Chiri could even protest, he was there healing her. Piccolo looked furious.

"What?" Chiri frowned, not really wanting to find out what had irritated him.

"Be grateful he didn't turn you into an egg and crush you!" Piccolo spat. "What did you think you were doing? We're supposed to be waiting for the last thirty minutes for Gotenks! You've doomed us all with your reckless actions! Now you'll have to survive the whole thirty minutes without Gotenks!"

Chiri was furious. "He killed my mother! What were you expecting to happen – of course I was going to go and fight him after that! You of all people wouldn't know, not having parents or a family!"

"How dare you!" Piccolo glared back. "We are going to be in serious trouble if you do not get control of your emotions! Your reckless actions have guaranteed that we will now lose the battle! You cannot do this on your own!"

"Guys, sorry to butt in…" Dende cut in quietly, having finished his job. "… but Buu has regenerated."


End file.
